Brandon Mayfield

Brandon Mayfield (born July 15, 1966) is an American Muslim based in Washington County, Oregon, who was wrongfully detained in connection with the 2004 Madrid train bombings on the basis of a faulty fingerprint match. On May 6, 2004, the FBI arrested Mayfield as a material witness in connection with the Madrid attacks, and held him for two weeks, before releasing him with a public apology following Spanish authorities identifying another suspect.[1] A United States DOJ internal review later acknowledged serious errors in the FBI investigation. Ensuing lawsuits resulted in a $2 million settlement. An initial ruling declared some provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act unconstitutional, but the United States government appealed, and the ruling was overturned at the Ninth Circuit level on technical standing grounds.

Mayfield's case has been referenced in numerous scientific, political, and social journals.[2]

  1. ^ Matthew Harwood (February 8, 2014). "The terrifying surveillance case of Brandon Mayfield". Al Jazeera America. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  2. ^ Holley, David (March 26, 2009). "Lawyer unjustly jailed working toward "normal"". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2016.