Judge orders DUI defendants to download ride-hailing apps

PAINESVILLE, Ohio — An Ohio judge known for handing down unusual sentences is requiring convicted drunken drivers to download ride-hailing apps on their phones as part of their punishment.

Municipal Court Judge Michael Cicconetti in northeastern Ohio also requires defendants to enter a credit card number on the Uber and Lyft apps as a condition of probation.

Cicconetti tells the Willoughby News-Herald it’s common sense to take advantage of the technology, which is safer than driving drunk and a cheaper alternative to thousands of dollars spent after a drunken driving arrest.

In the past Cicconetti has told a drunken driver to view crash victims’ bodies at a morgue.