Cincinnati Judge Makes Covid Vaccination Condition for Parole

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The judge in question threatened a man with prison time by making vaccination a condition of his parole. Last week, Brandon Rutherford told WBNS that as he awaited sentencing, Judge Christopher Wagner asked him various questions, one of which had to do with the immunization.

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Rutherford explained that the judge asked if he was vaccinated. He said: I told him no and he asked me do I plan on getting vaccinated. I told him no.

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The young man stated that Wagner instructed him to get the shot within two months as a condition of his parole. Rutherford and his attorney, Carl Lewis, were taken aback. The young man said: I don’t plan on getting it. I don’t want it. So, for him to tell me that I have to get it in order for me to not violate my probation, it’s crazy because I’m just trying to do what I can to get off this as quickly as possible, finding a job and everything else. But that little thing can set me back.

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In a written statement given to CNN, Wagner defended his decision, stating that it was designed to “rehabilitate the defendant and protect the community.”

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The judge argued that Rutherford had been “in possession of fentanyl, which is deadlier than the vaccine and COVID-19,” and noted that he “expressed no objection” to the ruling during the proceedings. He also insisted that it is not uncommon for a judge to give orders to safeguard a defendant’s health. Lewis stated that they will wait until the two months pass to see how Wagner responds before asking for a hearing.

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