Wis. defendant must pay $36,000 in funeral costs

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) - A Sheboygan man convicted of fatally shooting a Hmong man has been ordered to pay $36,000 to cover funeral costs, an amount the defense argued was excessive.
    
A Sheboygan Press report says 20-year-old victim Pheng Lee was given a traditional Hmong funeral. It lasted more than three days and included food and drink for all 500 guests.
    
Twenty-two-year-old Kou Yang was convicted in the shooting. He's serving an 18-year prison sentence.
    
Defense attorney Casey Hoff told the judge Friday that an average funeral costs about $8,000. He said $36,000 was "extremely high."
    
But Judge L. Edward Stengel said he believed the victim's family was following tradition, not running up the bill with the expectation of being compensated.
    
Yang testified that he has no savings or assets of note.