DENVER
A Denver sheriff's deputy accused of slapping a drunk female inmate is acquitted of all charges.
The incident was reported at the Denver jail on March 25. The incident occurred at 5:10 a.m. in an area where arrestees arriving at the downtown detention center are searched before being booked into jail.
Deputy Anne Kelly, 51, was charged with misdemeanor harassment and assault but her lawyers said the female inmate was uncooperative and intoxicated.
On Wednesday, a jury declared Kelly did nothing wrong.
"We are extremely pleased that the jury acquitted Deputy Anne Kelly today of the charges third-degree assault and harassment. We believe that the jury recognized the difficult and dangerous job that law enforcement officers are required to do on a daily basis. Deputy Anne Kelly was simply doing her job which required that she use physical force in order to maintain order and discipline in the jail facility. Hopefully, this jury verdict will serve a greater purpose, which we hope is to remind the public of all the positive actions taken by law enforcement officers in the name of serving and protecting the public," said Kelly's attorney, Donald Sisson.
Kelly had been on paid leave. 7NEWS is working to find out if or when she'll be back at work.
Report a typo or inaccuracyIf you have a news tip or a follow-up to this story, e-mail us.Copyright 2011 by TheDenverChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
