Innocent man jailed for 4 months - fingerprints not checked

Ever wonder what it might be like to get pulled over for something minor and discover that you have the same name as a wanted fugitive from another state?

You might think - "Hey, no worry. Even if my name, race and sex are the same it won't be a big issue. That's what photo's and all those fancy fingerprint databases are for - right?!"

Well - those fingerprint database apparently only work if the cops actually look at them. Shocking I know - but it appears to be true.

If the police decide having the same name, race and sex of the offender is enough you may end up like Samuel David Ramirez Perez whose traffic stop in a small Alabama town.

Man mistaken for fugitive imprisoned for 4 months

Here is a short timeline of the events..

-Nov. 28, 2009: Samuel Perez, 30, is pulled over by a Foley Police officer in southern Alabama for a traffic infraction. The officer runs a computer check that shows Dallas County-issued felony warrants against a Samuel Perez. Perez denies he's the man wanted in Dallas, but is booked into the Baldwin County jail.

-Late 2009: Perez refuses to waive extradition, and Dallas County begins the lengthy process of extraditing him from Alabama to face charges here.

-Feb. 11: Texas Gov. Rick Perry's office receives Dallas County's request for extradition, which includes a photograph of the fugitive but not his fingerprints.

-Feb. 18: Perry signs a governor's warrant - the process used when seeking extradition from another state - and sends it to the Alabama governor's office.

-March 16: The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, which has been holding Perez for about four months, receives the governor's warrant from Alabama Gov. Bob Riley.

-March 19: Dallas County Sheriff's Deputy Roy Williams flies to Alabama to pick up Perez. When the two arrive in Dallas, sheriff's officials compare fingerprints and discover they have the wrong man. Perez is sent home to Alabama on a bus.

I wonder what would have happened if he hadn't fought extradition? Would he be rotting away in a Texas jail now?

That last bit about sending home from TX to AL on a bus after all of this is just insult to injury.

In many ways its classic bureaucracy and incompetence that caused this.

The AL set of cops basically said, "Hey TX. We've caught your guy. You make sure he's the right guy."

The TX set of cops said, "Hey AL cops, you caught him so you check if he's the right guy."

So neither group did.

Goodness knows they are probably both too busy to be bothered by little things like checking if they got the right guy.







[edit on 3-5-2010 by Frogs]

This is reprehensible! The carelessness of law enforcement is metastasizing at an alarming rate around our nation. Every day that goes by, it seems that something like this comes up. And I'm sorry to say, my opinion, my support for the basic LEO is faltering. Believe me, this is not an easy thing for me to say!
LEO's, please listen up, this languorous performance is becoming epidemic. You're the ones that are going to have to, internally clean this up! Not just for the integrity of the force but the safety of the people as well.
Wow, this is frighteningly sad.

Similar story to me, the police in uk desperately tried to do this to me, for 18 years, imagine that 18 years they have been trying.

Sick people are only in police.

So is this intended to plead the case for chipping people?

Will it really solve all these mistaken identity problems?

Are chips the answer to the red tape society?

Alethea, I believe you have zeroed in on an important consequence of this type of thing.

The chip seems merely distasteful when compared to four months in jail. That will probably be on his record forever now.


I feel ill when I think of it. Thankfully, he's free now. I trust he will leave here now, like most people who can't take it anymore, waiting for something to happen...

*hears the vise tightening*

I'm not sure this is even to "make the case for the chip".

I'd think that normal procedure should be both sides check to see if its the right guy. That way it doesn't fall through the cracks.

This seems to be just laziness, incompetence, and arrogance from both sides. Basically they were caring more about getting out of work than if someone was guilty or not.

The cops arresting the wrong person happens all the time.

And in some places the cops do it on purpose.

There is a lot of money in impounding and selling cars.

You guys are overreacting. I knew a guy who was in for 4 months in jail without being allowed to see a lawyer. Happens all the time.

Found, the sister who was locked away for 70 years when she was wrongly accused of stealing 12p

The false word of a doctor's accusation resulted in one 15 year old having her life stolen: 70 years in prison for a 15 year old for less than a quarter missing out of a doctor's cash till. She died a while after she was released. She was known for telling the guards of her innocence, only to be ignored as "crazy". She suffered a stroke after being released.

Sister locked up and forgotten[UK-70 Years!]

Jean Gambell's imprisonment cannot be forgiven. She was in the "care" of the state till 2007: all the technology of the world, all her honest cries for help, were for not. In the words of Gordon Ramsay: "Shut it down!"

[edit on 3-5-2010 by elusive1]