FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ As a criminal court judge, John Kastrenakes put murderers in prison for life, sent fraudsters away for decades and issued thousands of orders.
But no ruling he ever made in 10 years on the bench has stoked more anger and prompted more second-guessing than the 10 days he made DeAndre Alexander Somerville serve in Palm Beach County Jail.
Who puts a 21-year-old man with no criminal record and a solid family upbringing behind bars with violent gang members, rapists and drug dealers for the offense of juror misconduct, of all things?
Yet it was a page right out of Kastrenakes' playbook. He gave a similar contempt of court punishment to another young juror scofflaw six months earlier. And, it just so happens he pounced on two misbehaving jurors twice in early 2015.
Records show the judge then called out two men for not being truthful during jury selection, and forced one of them to perform 20 hours of community service.
Critics across the United States now say such a penalty would have been far more reasonable for Somerville, who overslept on the August morning he was to serve on a civil jury panel, causing a 45-minute trial delay.
Kastrenakes _ now a target of online petitions, social media blasts and a judicial misconduct complaint seeking his removal _ insists jail is the appropriate place for any juror "who behaved" like Somerville.
He did, "after reflection" however, declare Somerville "totally rehabilitated," rescinded the criminal contempt finding, and canceled an order requiring three months of probation and 30 hours of community service.
In a response to an interview request, Kastrenakes' spokeswoman Debra Oats wrote in an email Thursday, "Judge Kastrenakes will not be responding publicly on this matter at least until the complaint has been addressed and resolved."
In his only statement about the controversy, the 63-year-old judge wrote citizens should "take heed that serving on a jury is serious business deserving of attention, respect, and adherence to their oaths. After all, trial by jury is one of our most cherished freedoms as Americans."
