What began with a cellphone recording on a Jacksonville street ended with a Florida woman punching a state trooper, kicking federal immigration officers, being hit with a Taser and eventually standing before a federal judge.
Jennifer Susan Cruz, 41, pleaded guilty on June 17 to assaulting officers during a January immigration enforcement operation in Jacksonville. Federal prosecutors say she now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, although a judge will decide the final punishment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said on June 18 that a sentencing date had not yet been set.
The case drew attention far beyond Jacksonville after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier publicly weighed in. It also produced a striking turnaround from Cruz herself, who authorities say apologized after the confrontation and later called the incident “horrible” in federal court…