US prosecutor seeks death penalty for famous weather-forecasting groundhog
Punxsutawney Phil, the world-famous groundhog who wrongly predicted an early Spring this year, has been threatened with the death penalty by a US lawyer.
Sky News reports that Butler County attorney Mike Gmoser, who insists that the charges are just a joke, issued an official-looking indictment which read:
"The offence of MISREPRESENTATION OF EARLY SPRING, is an Unclassed Felony, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio."
He added that Phil acted "purposely, and with prior calculation and design, (to) cause the people to believe that Spring would come early.
"The people further find and specify that due to the aggravating circumstances and misrepresentation to the people that the death penalty be implemented to the defendant, Punxsutawney Phil."
According to legend, if the Phil does not see his shadow when he emerges from his winter hole on 'Groundhog Day', then an early Spring is on the way. And that was the case this year, when Phil came out of his Gobbler's Knob hole in Pennsylvania on February 2.
If he does see his shadow, that means there will be six more weeks of winter.
This year Phil's prediction missed the mark as this year much of America is still dealing with snowstorms and freezing temperatures - and there is no improvement on the horizon.
But Phil's handlers were quick to leap to his defence - John Griffiths insisted that the groundhog was innocent and said that, since February 2, there have been some Spring-like temperature spikes.
Bill Deeley, president of the club that organises Groundhog Day, told BBC News that Phil has a lawyer and added that the death penalty would be a "very harsh" punishment.
He added: "We'll have to plead our case one way or the other, but I think we can beat the rap."
Phil became famous thanks to the 1993 film Groundhog Day. Every year, thousands of people visit the Pennsylvanian town of Punxsutawney, to witness Phil's forecast.
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