FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A judge sentenced a 19-year-old to four months in jail for not mentioning his arrest record when he was called for jury duty, outraging his family. Circuit Judge Eileen O'Connor freed Stacey Forbes on bond Wednesday while he pursues an appeal. He had already served a month of the sentence she imposed for criminal contempt.
"She wants blood from this kid, clearly," said Bill Gelin, Forbes' attorney. "It's unheard of nationwide, this type of sentence" for a juror.
"Mean," said Coleen Forbes, Stacey's mother. "She is mean."
Police arrested Forbes in October on charges related to car break-ins. More recently, he was arrested on a marijuana possession charge. In both cases, prosecutors declined to file charges, but the latter charge was not dropped until after he was jailed.
Forbes said he did not intentionally try to hide anything when he was called for jury duty March 22. A high school dropout, Forbes said he had problems reading a questionnaire that asks whether prospective jurors have a criminal background.
"It's ridiculous," Forbes said after his release. "It's outrageous. It's crazy."
Details here from the AP via Newsday.com.