South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Readers weigh in on jailed juror and judge
After Palm Beach County Judge John Kastrenakes jailed a man for 10 days over missing his assigned jury duty, state Sen. Bobby Powell filed a complaint against the judge seeking his removal. Both decisions have proven controversial.
We asked readers what they thought of the entire story. Was Kastrenakes right or wrong in dishing out a 10-day sentence to Deandre Somerville for missing jury duty? And if it was wrong, is it so wrong that the judge should face consequences for it?
Especially in the back-andforth of social media, a lot of readers faulted either Kastrenakes or Somerville but not the other.
“It’s an abuse of power,” wrote one. “Remove the judge.”
“I support the judge’s decision to lock the juror up,” wrote another.
“No one deserves having a record for missing jury duty. A stern lecture and perhaps an extended jury duty term would have been more effective,” Nancy Mechaber wrote on our Facebook post of the story.
Overall, most commenters on the Facebook post didn’t necessarily support removing the judge from office, but did think the 10-day sentence was excessive.
The opinion that the sentence was unfair but doesn’t warrant the removal of Kastrenakes was also espoused by Sun Sentinel columnist Steve Bosquet. It was a common view on social media, and was overwhelmingly the take among those who took the time to write lengthier responses over email.
“While I disagree with the hefty sentence considering the likely valid explanation of his unexcused absence, it is illogical to press for the removal from the bench of an officer who is simply enforcing the laws as provided by the populace,” wrote one. “Instead of focusing energy on being mad at the person interpreting the laws we’ve put in place, spend your time redefining the law you would rather respond to the bad behavior.”
Another wrote: “This young man was negligent and certainly deserved to have a consequence but the judgment jeopardized the future of someone who was an otherwise productive citizen which is counterproductive. I think a fine and community service would have been more appropriate. In the same vein, just as this juror made an error and has no doubt learned from it, I have no doubt that the judge has also. I think the next election should determine if he gets to keep his job.”
Kastrenakes was elected without opposition in 2016 to a six-year term.