By April Warren
Ocala
MARION COUNTY — Two Marion County corrections officers accused of battering an inmate inside the county jail were found not guilty Friday evening.
Upon hearing the verdict, family and friends of Richard Smith, 51, and Dustin Lay, 32, broke into smiles and later congratulated the men with hugs, pats on the back and a few tears of joy.
“This not guilty verdict is a just verdict and a true reflection of the evidence presented in the courtroom,” said Smith’s attorney, Michael Finesilver, in a statement after the verdict was announced.
“It’s not just about winning or losing the case. It’s more the right verdict. It was the right result,” said defense attorney Howard Lidsky, who represented Lay.
Both men were arrested this fall and accused of battering inmate Donald Kizzart, 38, in a medical wing of the Marion County Jail. They pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges.
Full story: Jail guards accused of battering inmate found not guilty