Guards acquitted over juvenile’s death

A Florida jury has acquitted seven guards and a nurse of manslaughter in the death of a 14-year-old boy whose beating by guards at a juvenile boot camp was caught on videotape.

Martin Lee Anderson was sent to the camp for joyriding in his grandmother’s car.

His death, initially not acted on by officials, sparked outrage when the tape was made public, leading to accusations of a cover-up against then governor Jeb Bush and the closure of Florida’s boot camps.

Florida has agreed to pay $US5 million to the boy’s family.

Copyright © 2007. The Age Company Ltd.