Teen Spends 35 Days in Florida Jail After Mistaken Arrest

Three northeast Florida sheriff's deputies have been disciplined after an arrest mix-up sent the wrong teenager to jail

Three northeast Florida sheriff's deputies have been disciplined after an arrest mix-up sent the wrong teenager to jail.
 
The 17-year-old spent 35 days in the Clay County jail after being charged as an adult in a sexual battery case.

 
One deputy also faces a suspension and a transfer. The Florida Times-Union reports that in a disciplinary letter, Sheriff Rick Beseler wrote that because of that deputy's incompetence, "an innocent man was arrested for an offense that he did not commit."
 
The mistake wasn't discovered until the teen received court documents detailing the charges against him.

 
Authorities say investigators failed to confirm their suspect's identity with a photo lineup. They actually had been seeking another student at  the same high school with the same name.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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