Court Dismisses Lawsuit of Wrongfully Detained Woman

A federal appeals court has ruled that Judith Maureen Henry, a New Jersey woman wrongfully detained for two weeks in 2019 due to mistaken identity, cannot sue the U.S. marshals involved in her arrest. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the officers acted within their legal rights under a valid warrant, granting them qualified immunity from liability. Henry, who shares her name with a woman from Pennsylvania wanted for parole violations, argued that her arrest was influenced by racial and socioeconomic bias, but the court dismissed these claims as unsupported. Despite repeatedly asserting her innocence and requesting fingerprint comparisons, Henry's pleas went unchecked for two weeks. The court's ruling highlights the challenges faced by individuals wrongfully incarcerated and the protections afforded to law enforcement officers under qualified immunity. The warrant was issued for a different Judith Henry, who had evaded parole for 26 years.