Emoji earns man probation
The digital age of wordless communication took front and center Thursday in a Butler County courtroom where an ambiguous emoji proved to be a Brady Township man's undoing.
Jason E. Cyphert, 48, admitted he texted the “thinking emoji” — nothing else — to his estranged wife last week.
The bright yellow symbol was enough to earn him three months on probation for violating his wife's protection from abuse order, which barred Cyphert from having contact with her for three years.
At Tuesday's hearing before Judge Kelley Streib, and without an attorney, Cyphert pleaded guilty to the charge.
Along with probation, Cyphert was also ordered to remain at the Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Addiction Center for up to 90 days and undergo a mental health evaluation.
Read more about this case in the Butler Eagle.
