Woman Wins $75K for 1-Day Jail Stay + $25K for Strip Search in ID Theft Mix-Up
A Florida jury deliberated only about two hours before awarding a 32-year-old woman $100,000 for being jailed overnight in an identity-theft mix-up.
Kimberly Shields Hesketh, 32, was arrested in 2002 on a Charlotte County warrant after a car thief stole her identity and violated probation. Although the mistake was clear within a few hours to workers at the Seminole County Jail, Hesketh was nonetheless held there overnight and strip-searched before being taken before a judge the next day with a recommendation that she be released, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
The jury gave Hesketh, who burst into tears when the verdict was read today, $75,000 for the overnight stay in jail and another $25,000 for the strip search. She was represented by attorney Crystal Eiffert, who explained that her client was crying tears of joy, saying “We’re very happy.”
Attorney Tim Poulton represented the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. He says his client will file a motion seeking to set aside the verdict.
