Florida man accused of domestic violence ordered to buy wife flowers, dinner

By: Casey Glynn
Topics: Daily Blotter

Broward County Judge John Hurley sentenced Joseph Bray (standing, right) to take his wife out on a date after he was arrested on domestic violence charges.

(Credit: CBS Miami)

(CBS/AP) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Justice will be served at Red Lobster in one Florida domestic dispute.

A South Florida Judge has ordered Joseph Bray to buy his wife a birthday card and flowers, and to take her to dinner at a Red Lobster restaurant and a night of bowling, to smooth over any hard feelings from a marital spat.

Bray, 47, was arrested after a dispute over forgetting to wish his wife a happy birthday allegedly escalated into violence. According to CBS Miami, Bray allegedly pushed his wife onto the couch in their home and put his hands on her neck. The arrest affidavit stated that he lifted his hand to strike her, but never did.

Bray's wife told the court that she did not fear for her life.

In addition to ordering a couple's night out, Judge John Hurley on Tuesday also ruled they should begin seeing a marriage counselor immediately.

The judge emphasized that he would not make such a ruling had the charge been more serious, or if Bray's wife was in any danger, reports CBS Miami. The Florida Sun Sentinel reported Bray had no prior arrests.

"It was a minor incident, in the court's opinion," JHurley said. "The court would not normally do that 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 other alternatives."

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by ahendryx819 February 13, 2012 4:33 PM EST: That's a crock of crap. ANY type of domestic violence should be treated as the serious crime that it is. So many people are being killed after incidences of domestic violence, that you'd think the judge would take it more seriously. What's more, marriage counseling is not going to help. The victim shouldn't be forced to participate in counseling when her husband is the abusive one. he should be court-ordered into a batterers' intervention program instead.; Reply to this comment