ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A man who handed out pamphlets outside of designated free-speech zones during the Casey Anthony murder trial has been given jail time by the central Florida judge presiding over the case.
Judge Belvin Perry says 64-year-old contractor Mark Schmidter violated a pair of his pretrial orders about protesting outside the Orange County Courthouse and sentenced him to just over five months in jail Tuesday. Perry's ruling came after a morning-long bench trial.
Schmidter was arrested in June for distributing pamphlets to potential jurors outside the free-speech zones.
Perry found him guilty of two counts indirect criminal contempt, carrying sentences of 141 and 151 days. Both sentences will run concurrently. Schmidter has also been ordered to pay $500 in fines.
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Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com