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BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS (AP) -- A Los Fresnos family is going to court to prevent a Cameron County justice of the peace from ordering spankings in his courtroom.
A lawsuit filed today alleges Justice of the Peace Gustavo "Gus" Garza told a 14-year-old girl's stepfather to strike her repeatedly on the buttocks in open court.
If he didn't, the judge said the girl would be found guilty and fined $500 for truancy.
The lawsuit by Mary Vasquez and her husband, Daniel Zurita, described the paddle provided by Garza as large and heavy and fashioned from a thick piece of lumber.
In a story for The Brownsville Herald, Garza declined to comment on whether he has people spanked in his courtroom. He also said he had not seen the lawsuit.
Zurita says he didn't feel as if he had a choice but to follow the order.
In an affidavit, Zurita says that when he was through, the judge told him he had not struck the girl hard enough.
(Copyright ©2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
