MIAMI (WSVN) - A former Miami-Dade County Public Schools teacher has been found guilty of crossing the line with several students.
7News cameras captured Jason Meyers as the verdict was being read out in a Miami courtroom, Friday night. He was taken away in handcuffs moments later.
The verdict followed just four hours of jury deliberations following three days of testimony from his accusers.
Hours earlier, defense attorneys and prosecutors delivered closing statements.
The defendant faced three counts of engaging in sex with a minor when he was a teacher at Miami Palmetto Senior High School. He was found guilty on all three counts.
One of his accusers, Heaven Rubin, is now 24 years old. She said she is relieved by the outcome.
“The last seven years have been difficult. It’s consumed most of my life,” she said. “It’s the first time I’ve been an adult without this in my life, and I get to really solidify who I am outside of these experiences.”
Meyers was arrested back in 2016. He decided not to take the stand in his own defense.
But Meyers’ wife, who is a teacher at the school, on Friday testified in a show of support.
Kimberley Meyers said she never saw the victim and her husband alone in his class or any student.
“I can tell you that I personally never walked in on him one-on-one alone in a classroom with a student,” she said.
The school’s principal, Victoria Dobbs, also took the stand Friday. She said that after Meyers was arrested, she sent a message to parents about the incident. She said the father of one of the victims reached out to her.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the jury heard testimony from two former students who said he betrayed their trust.
The defense argued there was no evidence Meyers committed a crime, while the state said the testimonies prove otherwise.
In the end, Meyers would be convicted. His defense maintains their client’s innocence and said they are planning to appeal.
“The jury got it wrong. These cases are measured by whether or not there’s reasonable doubt; this case was full of doubt,” said defense attorney Brad Horenstein. “There was no evidence in this case other than an uncorroborated allegation and nothing else.”
Meyers faces up to 14 years in prison.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.