ST. LOUIS (CN) - St. Louis police ignored a judge's order to release a victim of misidentification and held him for another 60 days in jail, the man claims in Federal Court.
Cedric Wright says police officers stopped him on Aug. 20, 2011 on suspicion of petty larceny.
Wright says he gave the officers valid identification, but they claimed he was actually Corey Darmel Leonard, who was wanted on a felony warrant. Wright claims the officers arrested him as Leonard and injured him by violently shoving him into a patrol car.
"On the morning of August 22, 2011, plaintiff was transported in the custody of the Metropolitan Police Department from the Substation to the St. Louis City Justice Center (hereinafter 'Justice Center') located at 200 South Tucker Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63102," the complaint states.
"Once at the Justice Center, despite plaintiff's repeated protests that he was not
Corey Darmel Leonard and despite the fact that plaintiff was given an inmate identification bracelet identifying him as Cedric Maurice Wright (his true name), defendant Joseph Doe, booking police officer two, wrongfully confined plaintiff in a holding pen, to await a scheduled court appearance for Corey Darmel Leonard.
"From the holding pen, despite plaintiff's repeated protests that he was not Corey
Darmel Leonard and despite the fact that plaintiff was given an inmate identification bracelet identifying him as Cedric Maurice Wright, defendant Jerald Doe, deputy sheriff one took plaintiff into the custody of the St. Louis Sheriff's Department (hereinafter 'Sheriff's Department') and transported plaintiff to a holding cell, to await a scheduled court appearance for Corey Darmel Leonard.
"From the holding cell, despite plaintiff's repeated protests that he was not Corey
Darmel Leonard and despite the fact that plaintiff was given an inmate identification bracelet identifying him as Cedric Maurice Wright, while in the custody of the Sheriff's Department, defendant Jackson Doe, deputy sheriff two, transported plaintiff to Division 26 in the Twenty Second Judicial Circuit Court in the City of St. Louis before Judge Elizabeth Bryne Hogan (hereinafter 'Judge Hogan').
"Upon information and belief, Judge Hogan and Assistant Circuit Attorney Patrick
Carmody realized plaintiff was being wrongfully detained as Corey Darmel Leonard.
"Mr. Carmody filed and Judge Hogan signed an order directing plaintiff's release because he was not Corey Darmel Leonard, i.e., the proper defendant."
Nonetheless, Wright says, the defendants held him in jail for another 60 days.
He says he was released only after writing a letter to Public Defender Mary Fox, pleading for her assistance.
Wright says he was released after Fox appeared before Circuit Judge Francis Garvey on Oct. 20 last year. Garvey ordered him released immediately.
Wright seeks damages for false arrest, false imprisonment and constitutional violations. He is represented by James Hacking.
Named as defendants are the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners, the St. Louis City Sheriff's Department, the St. Louis City Division of Corrections and nine individuals.
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