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EYEWITNESS LOCAL NEWS
WANTED GROUNDHOGfrom Eyewitness News Online Ohio Prosecutor After Punxsutawney Phil's Hide Reported by:  Jeff MorrisWeb Producer: Jeff Morris Also Contributing: CNN Reported: Mar. 22, 2013 12:56 PM EDT Updated: Mar. 22, 2013 1:40 PM EDT
Hamilton, Butler County
, Ohio
Punxsutawney Phil, Pennsylvania's famous weather predicting groundhog, is a marked critter. A prosecutor near Cincinnati, Ohio, has his eye on the famous furry prognosticator. CNN reported that Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser is attempting to seek the death penalty for the groundhog for the "misrepresentation of early spring." Even though the spring season is now under way, you wouldn't know it if you've been outside. Now, Gmoser thinks someone needs to pay. "I woke up this morning and the wind was blowing, the snow was flying, the temperatures were falling, and I said, ‘Punxsutawney, you let us down,' " Gmoser said. Punxsutawney Phil's incorrect prediction has him in some seriously hot water now. The one-count indictment accuses Phil of "the offense of misrepresentation of early spring, an unclassified felony, and against the peace and dignity of the state of Ohio." "There's only one person that can do something about this for the citizens of Butler County, and that's me," Gmoser said. The head of the county's law enforcement, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, said he will do what he is supposed to do to bring justice. "Hopefully, like I said, Pennsylvania cooperates with our prosecutor,” Jones said. “My job is just to carry out the court orders and the indictments. My job is not to question." So what's in store for Phil? Well, pending an extradition hearing, Gmoser said, it is curtains for the little guy. "Since he's already serving a life sentence behind bars, as you know, there wasn't much left as far as a penalty other than the death sentence," he said. One of Phil’s handlers is coming to his defense. He said temperatures reached 60 or 65 degrees more than two weeks ago, so that essentially counts as an early spring. MORE NEWS FROM EYEWITNESS NEWS
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