MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A name mix-up cost an Ohio man five months of his life.
In October, FOX13 told you about Anthony Robertson, a man who was taken into custody hundreds of miles away and extradited to Shelby County for accusations of rape and other violent charges.
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The problem is he was detained there for months, mistaken for Anthony Roberson, the actual defendant who police say committed the rapes. Attorney Andre Wharton has now filed a lawsuit against Shelby County on behalf of Robertson. The lawsuit, more than 20 pages, is asking for $5 million. It claims civil rights violations and deliberate indifference.
FOX13 also obtained documents that outline the confusion from the beginning. It begins with a court transcript from April 2024. Judge Jennifer Mitchell, listed as “the court,” is speaking to a public defender for Robertson and prosecutor Gavin Smith. There’s immediate confusion.