Judge Orders Man to Take His Wife on a Date

With Valentine's Day approaching, love is in the air. Even, it seems, in the courtroom.  This week a Florida judge ruled that a man involved in a scuffle with his wife take her out for a romantic dinner at Red Lobster, followed by some bowling.

On Tuesday, Joseph Bray, 47, appeared in Florida courtroom, facing charges of domestic violence.

Court records say he and his wife got in an argument after he reportedly forgot her birthday. Bray's wife alleges he pushed her against the couch and grabbed her neck.

Finding the offense to be "very very minor",  Judge John Hurley handed down the "take your wife to dinner" sentence.

"He's going to stop by somewhere and he's going to get some flowers," Hurley said at a hearing, according to Florida newspaper Sun Sentinel. "And then he's going to go home, pick up his wife, get dressed, take her to Red Lobster. And then after they have Red Lobster, they're going to go bowling."

NBC Bay Area reports Hurley said he would not typically treat a domestic violence charge in such a light-hearted manner, but that he came to the ruling based on the defendant's clean record and, in his opinion, the incident's  lack of violence.

"The court would not normally [make this ruling] if the court felt there was some violence but this is very, very minor and the court felt that that was a better resolution than the other alternatives," Hurley said.

The couple was also ordered to attend counseling.

What do you think about this unusual sentence?