Jennifer Heath Box – Innocent Mom Arrested, Mistreated in Jail, Missed Christmas

This case is still playing out, but here’s the latest update:

A federal judge has ruled that the lawsuit filed by the Institute for Justice on behalf of Jennifer Heath Box can move forward—and that the deputies involved don’t get qualified immunity.

For those unfamiliar with the case:

What was supposed to be a joyous Christmas celebration turned into a nightmare when Broward County sheriff’s deputies arrested Jennifer and threw her in jail for three days—all because they refused to check their paperwork to make sure they had the right person.

Police did have a warrant for a “Jennifer”—just not this one. The woman they were looking for was 23 years younger, five inches shorter, and had a completely different name, appearance, and ID. Despite all those red flags, deputies went ahead with the arrest anyway.

Because of their indifference, Jennifer missed Christmas with her family and—most heartbreakingly—missed saying goodbye to her son before he deployed overseas with the Marines.