<p>#Justice4Cecily support team went to visit Cecily at Rikers yesterday. She's doing OK & has received nickname "activista" from folks there.</p>— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) May 8, 2014</blockquote>

BREAKING #Justice4Cecily NEWS:

Nine members of the jury that convicted Occupy Wall Street protester of felony assault of an officer have signed a letter asking that the judge not sentence her to any prison time

"We the jury petition the court for leniency in the sentencing of Cecily McMillan," the letter reads. "We feel that the felony mark on Cecily's record is punishment enough for this case and that it serves no purpose to Cecily or to society to incarcerate her for any amount of time."

One member of the jury told the Guardian a day after the verdict that they weren't aware that McMillan was facing up to seven years in prison for their verdict: “Most just wanted her to do probation, maybe some community service. But now what I’m hearing is seven years in jail? That’s ludicrous. Even a year in jail is ridiculous.”

In the trial that lasted nearly four weeks, McMillan claimed that her arresting officer, Grantley Bovell, violently grabbed her breast, which caused her to rear back and strike him with her elbow. Officer Bovell testified that it was intentional. Photographs show a deep bruise on McMillan's right breast.

via Gothamist