Isn’t that part of what was entailed in the guilty plea?
Did you read the linked apology letter he sent to the court? It didn’t read like “someone who is not remorseful in the least bit and would do it all again” to me. Sure, he probably could have expressed more contrition, but he also could have expressed a lot less.
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Stephen Thorn, and I have been charged with threatening a federal judge in the Middle District of Florida. Firstly, I want to sincerely apologize for any emotional distress this caused this judge and/or her immediate family members or staff to experience. I am a retired public school teacher, who has no criminal record, and my intention was not to threaten her and/or her immediate family members.
I realize now that rather than react to one of her rulings rashly and angrily immediately after reading a newspaper article about her ruling, I should have waited a minimum of 72 hours to make my point with her in a polite and professional manner, instead of handling it the way I did.
I am not attempting to justify my overreaction to her ruling, but please understand it was not coming from a place of malice in my heart and/or mind. I don’t feel this is necessarily the time or the place to go into my reasons for leaving her the voicemail message I did, but suffice it to say I spent a large portion of my teaching career advocating for LGBTQ+ public school students, and volunteering for LGBTQ+ youth advocacy organizations in both Florida and in California. I am also the parent of two adult sons, one of whom is gay. Consequently, this factored into my overreaction, as well.
Again, I do want to genuinely apologize for causing this federal judge and/or her immediate family members or staff to experience any emotional distress. As a 65-year-old retired public school teacher, I definitely should have rethought the manner in which I left this voicemail.
Thank you,
Stephen Thorn
