Glutton Rents U-Haul for Court Date

A 700-pound man has to sit through court proceedings in a rental truck

It's just about Weight Watchers time when you need a U-Haul to leave the house.

A 700-pound upstate New York man had to hire a rental truck to get to court Monday - and had to sit through the proceedings in the vehicle, Syracuse.com reports.

Facing charges for possessing and selling prescription painkillers, Turo left his house for the first time in several years to go to court in nearby Auburn for the indictment.

When the morbidly obese man was too large to fit inside the courtroom, officials had to park the rental truck on the loading dock and read Turo's charges to him as he sat inside the vehicle in 18-degree weather, snow swirling outside.

Turo, 56, was hooked up to oxygen tubes through the 90-minute proceeding.

If he is convicted, Turo could be the largest inmate ever housed in state jails, according to Syracuse.com.

He will likely not appear in court again until his case is settled, but his weight will have no bearing on the court's decision, officials assured.

"I don't know what outcome our office will ultimately approve of, but gross obesity in and of itself is no defense," Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher T. Valdina said.

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