N othing could prepare Dr. Thomas Van Lent, one of Florida ’s most celebrated scientists, for jail. Before he turned himself in, he bought glasses, laceless shoes, and pants that sat on his hips without a belt. Early on July 17, Van Lent took the Metrorail with his wife to the Miami-Dade County Courthouse. Then, he walked inside to a courtroom where a bailiff placed him in handcuffs as his family watched from the jury box. Van Lent had devoted his career to the Florida Everglades, becoming its