GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) - A sheriff in northeast Florida is publicly apologizing to a teen who spent 35 days in jail after an arrest mix-up.
Authorities say a deputy’s failure to confirm his suspect’s identity with a photo led to the arrest of the wrong high school student. The teen was charged as an adult in a sexual battery case. The mistake was not discovered until he received court documents detailing the charge.
Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said Tuesday that the deputy has a good track record but took short-cuts in the investigation last year. The deputy was suspended and transferred to patrol.
Beseler told The Florida Times-Union (https://bit.ly/1fGbbGr ) that he will “seek to make things right” for the teen.
The teen has told the sheriff’s office that he intends to sue.
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Information from: The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union, https://www.jacksonville.com
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