A Florida man unhappy with a judge’s decisions decided to make his displeasure known by email. According to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the messages went considerably further than a strongly worded complaint.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey said 54-year-old Michael Christopher Barnard sent two emails to Brevard County Judge Katie Jacobus after becoming upset over recent proceedings involving his cases. Investigators say Barnard created an email address to send the messages, criticized several of the judge’s decisions, and told her he was “coming for her.”
One of the emails included a more specific demand.
“I highly suggest you start by dismissing your temp order,” Barnard wrote, according to the sheriff’s office. “Then push for clarity in my other case and hope God has mercy.”
The timing did not help his situation. According to Ivey, Barnard had been served with a temporary restraining order just hours before the first email was sent.
Investigators Trace Emails Back to Florida Man
Using a newly created email address didn’t keep investigators from identifying the sender. Ivey said Barnard left several clues in the messages that made it relatively easy for agents to determine who was behind them.
When agents went to his home, they also had another reason to take him into custody. Barnard already had an outstanding warrant for violation of probation.
The underlying offense, according to the sheriff’s office, was written threats to kill or do bodily harm.
Ivey said Barnard admitted during his arrest that he was upset with Judge Jacobus over recent court proceedings and that was why he sent the emails.
Existing Warrant Was Also Tied to Written Threats
The existing warrant adds an unusual wrinkle to the case. According to WFTV, agents were already looking to arrest Barnard for violating probation in a case involving written threats to kill or do bodily harm when the new emails to Jacobus were investigated.
Booking records identify Barnard as Michael Christopher Barnard, 54. He was arrested in Palm Bay at 7:15 p.m. on Aug. 14 and booked into the Brevard County Jail at 8:50 p.m. under booking number 2026-00009871.
The jail record lists the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office as the arresting agency and shows Barnard being held on open charges while awaiting trial.
According to the sheriff’s office, the new charges include one count of corruption by threat against a public servant, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and one count of violation of probation, along with the existing warrant.
Sheriff Says Barnard Earned a Trip to “Ivey’s Iron Bar Lodge”
Ivey, whose Facebook posts frequently mix arrest information with colorful commentary, described Barnard’s destination as “Ivey’s Iron Bar Lodge.”
The sheriff also joked that Barnard would receive one of the agency’s “I Messed Around And Found Out In Brevard County” souvenir T-shirts, which he described as being “very high in demand.”
“Based on his history, I’m not quite sure he will think about what he had done, Ivey wrote.
Facebook Readers Have Questions About That Email Address
The newly created email account caught plenty of attention in the comments.
“What was the email address he created? DefinitelyNotMichaelBarnard@gmail.com?” one person joked.
Others focused on the unusual series of decisions that led to the arrest. One commenter wrote, “Some run faster than the common sense that chases them,” while another said, “But you have to be impressed at his dedication to ‘go big, or go home!'”
Not everyone treated the situation as a joke. One person called written threats “very serious charges,” while another questioned whether threatening a judge could affect how long Barnard remains in custody.
Ivey’s imaginary jailhouse merchandise also had at least one potential customer. A commenter suggested the sheriff should actually make the “I Messed Around And Found Out In Brevard County” shirts and sell them.
For now, however, the sheriff’s office says Barnard got his through the considerably less convenient route.
Barnard is presumed innocent of the new charges unless and until proven guilty in court.