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[tee_bee]

Probably the same reason that you want to acquit him of all wrongdoings.

Just waiting on the trial, me.  I think I've been pretty clear in my posts that I don't know enough to make a judgment.  My point is, neither do you.  - DvF

Fair enough. But the news report did say that the car was "warm." The high temperature in Durham, NC on that day was 72 degrees (I love Wolfram Alpha). I don't know how warm a car gets on such a day. But "A study from Stanford University shows that even on comparatively cool days, such as 72 degrees, a car's internal temperature will rocket to 116 degrees within 60 minutes. And keeping the windows open a crack hardly slows the rise at all." (http://mydogiscool.com/x_car_study.php#.TwO58SOXR3s)

I agree that there are far too many busybodies out there. My wife left my kids in the locked car for 5 minutes in front of a convenience story on a 40 degree day to get milk, and had to deal with the busybody "your car is getting hot" in the parking lot. But 72 degrees may (I don't know) raise concerns. Anyway, does anyone know how this turned out?

[Decent interval...]

OK! There was a trial, but while the judge called the defendant "negligent," the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard was never met, ergo, not guilty. So, in this case it was dumb to leave the kid in the car, but not criminal. http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091009/GJNEWS_01/710099875

Of course, what this has to do with a parking ticket is...who knows. If nothing else, this was a fun trip down the rabbit hole of mediocre small town journalism.

[delta_geek]

A little late to the game, but two comments to add... 

1.  Re the legal article indicting the assistant - the author fails to acknowledge that there were many more witnesses than those two individuals.  I think the judges ruling ssid about 6 testified in the trial.  So keep that in mind when evaluating whether the peace was disturbed.  (Not that that changes the overall thesis that all the main characters had/have "issues.")

2.  Durham, NC and Durham, NH are very far apart. :p

[daniel_von_flanagan]

The high temperature in Durham, NC on that day was 72 degrees (I love Wolfram Alpha).

And the cloud cover was nearly 100%.

Of course, what this has to do with a parking ticket is...who knows.

Agreed. - DvF

[tinyzombie]

2.  Durham, NC and Durham, NH are very far apart. :p

Fabulous point.

[tee_bee]

2.  Durham, NC and Durham, NH are very far apart. :p

Fabulous point.

Good point. Force of habit. I can assure you that I did indeed check the temp for the NH variant--and confirmed it on those stories. As it turned out, when I went to get a map of Durham, NH, my browser autofilled NC, which annoyed me. And then, I go and do it....

[oldfullprof]

Now I have great plans to bake a luau pig in my car at the end of this semester (at no cost, just solar.)  I'll drive it in to a big tailgate with students in one of the faculty lots.  Mmmmmm...!