Anthony Trial Spectator Jailed for Flipping the Bird

He gets 6 days in slammer
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 1, 2011 1:20 AM CDT

Giving a prosecutor in a high-profile murder trial the finger is a good way to end up in jail, restaurant server Matthew Bartlett found out yesterday. The 28-year-old courtroom spectator was plucked from his seat at the Casey Anthony trial, found guilty of contempt of court, and sentenced to six days in the county jail plus a $400 fine, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

The judge told Bartlett that his action could have jeopardized the trial because the jury was in the courtroom at the time. I'm not sure why I even did it," Bartlett said later. "I do apologize." Prosecutor Jeff Ashton said he didn't notice Bartlett flipping the bird. He called the incident "just another odd aspect of this case." Click here for more on the trial. (More Casey Anthony stories.)

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