Former State Correctional Officer Charged with Civil Rights Violation
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 07, 2014 |
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Christopher Brunson, 38, of Perry, Florida, has been indicted for violating the civil rights of a Taylor County Correctional Institution inmate. The indictment was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that on January 30, 2013, Brunson, who was then employed as a correctional officer at the Taylor Correctional Institution, struck and assaulted an inmate resulting in bodily injury. Brunson was arraigned in federal court today and a trial date was scheduled for April 14, 2014.
If convicted, Brunson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Department of Corrections-Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Rhew-Miller
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.