Snyder, a Republican, agreed to the resolution in Pintado's case, Noble said.
Manuel Pintado.NORTHAMPTON – After apologizing profusely to a Florida court for an e-mail threatening a state representative there, Manuel E. Pintado is resuming his life back in Northampton.
Pintado, 47, resolved his Florida case on May 3 by pleading no contest to charges of corruption by threat and written threat to do bodily harm, an admission that does not constitute a guilty plea. St. Lucie County Judge William Roby ordered him to serve five years probation, all of it in some place other than Florida.
A University of Massachusetts sociology student and ardent advocate of immigrants’ rights, Pintado was accused of sending an e-mail threat to Florida state Rep. William D. Snyder from a Northampton Starbucks on Jan. 8, warning him to back off an immigration bill he was sponsoring. The legislation was aimed at giving Florida law enforcement greater leeway in investigating illegal immigration. The threat was sent on the same day a gunman in Arizona opened fire at a political rally, killing six people and seriously wounding U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Pintado was arrested by local police and placed in custody pending extradition to Florida. However, a Northampton District Court judge released him on his own recognizance with officers from the Martin County Sheriff’s Department standing by. Pintado abided by the terms of his release, traveling to Florida on his own and surrendering to authorities there.
Florida lawyer Jacob Noble, who took Pintado’s case pro bono, said Monday that he was willing to “go all the way” but both Pintado and prosecutors felt it was in everyone’s best interests to settle the issue. He said Pintado apologized repeatedly to Roby during the disposition.
“In my opinion, at the most what he did was inappropriate but not against the law,” Noble said, maintaining that the case revolved around First Amendment rights and mental health issues.
Pintado, a veteran of the U.S. military, suffers from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of witnessing atrocities while in the service, according to Noble. Born in Ecuador, Pintado is a U.S. citizen.
Snyder, a Republican, agreed to the resolution in Pintado’s case, Noble said. In addition to staying out of Florida, Pintado must have no contact with Snyder, seek mental health treatment and refrain from using a computer or owning a firearm under the terms of his probation.