How a man charged with a criminal offense left the courtroom before he was convicted

LEE COUNTY, Florida. On Wednesday, before sentencing, Thurbert Tyrone Sweet, 30, left the Lee County courthouse during recess.

Speaking to a lawyer unrelated to Sweet’s case, he said that because Sweet was not convicted at the time and not in custody, he was free to walk.

“I mean, this will happen in one case out of every thousand,” said lawyer Michael Reheb.

It may be rare, but prosecutor Reheb said he had heard of similar situations before.

“Technically, if he violated a court order and the judge told him to come back and he didn’t, he could be charged with contempt of court,” prosecutor Reheb says. trial.”

At the time Sweet decided to leave, he was not convicted or arrested. A spokesperson for Lee County Court was not available for an interview, but she sent a statement saying that “after the state took a breather, the court took a break, so it [Sweet] could talk to his lawyer, after which he did not return to the courtroom.”

“They can’t tell them to ‘hold him while we wait for the jury’s verdict’, that would be inappropriate,” prosecutor Reheb said. “But obviously he’s waiting for the jury’s verdict.”

The state’s attorney’s office was unable to comment on this due to other pending lawsuits related to Sweet’s case, but they reiterated that Sweet was not in custody because he was tied up and allowed to “roam.”

However, Reheb added that Sweet’s departure is definitely a violation of his $120,000 bail.

“Kidnapping a person is a very serious charge, so I am 99% sure that even if we were there, the judge would thank the jury, cancel his bail and take him into custody until sentencing,” Reheb explained. “It would be extremely rare for a court to allow a person to remain on bail until sentencing given this charge.”

On February 12, 2021, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call about two people being held hostage in Bonita Springs. The subsequent investigation determined that the two victims were planning to meet people in the San Carlos Park area when they were attacked and abducted while standing in the backyard.

One victim was tied up, blindfolded, and put in the back seat of a truck during the robbery. Another victim was injured and was placed in another truck. Both victims lay on the garage floor for hours with their hands tied behind their backs.

A judge has issued an arrest warrant for Sweet, and sentencing is set for March 27, 2023.