Georgia Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are asking for leniency for an 18 year old Georgia woman jailed in the Cayman Islands for violating COVID 19 quarantine rules.
In a letter to the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica, the senators wrote about the arrest and detention of Skylar, a U.S. citizen and Georgia resident. They said she has formally requested the Prerogative of Mercy and that they wish to “express our support for her family’s call for leniency.”
According to authorities, Skylar flew to the island with her boyfriend, a Grand Cayman native, to celebrate the holidays. Officials say she attended an event for several hours without a mask or social distancing, removed a government issued quarantine tracking bracelet, left her hotel, and went to a jet ski race.
The court first handed down community service, then added prison time. Her sentence was originally four months and was later reduced to two. Her attorney said that unless the U.S. can intervene, she will likely serve about 60 percent of the sentence, with a possible release around January 20. She has been jailed for about a week.
Speaking with Channel 2 Action News, Skylar’s father said the punishment does not fit the crime and that the island was making her an example, noting that the new law took effect the day she arrived.
The senators said in a joint statement that they support the territory’s right to set rules to protect its residents and to give fair sentences. They said Skylar has admitted guilt, regrets her actions, paid a substantial fine, and has been jailed for over a week. They added that her family hopes she can return home to continue her pre-med studies at Mercer University, and that the family is worried about her safety after threats made against her following the publicity of the case.
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