JSO officer arrested for battery on 17-year-old suspect will serve no jail time, after reaching agreement with the state

Jacksonville, FL — Following his arrest last month for battery on a 17-year-old suspect, an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has now reached a non-prosecution agreement with the State of Florida.

Officer Timothy James faced up to a year in the Duval County Jail on the misdemeanor battery charge, but instead with this agreement, he'll avoid jail time altogether.

Instead, James agreed to the following terms:

1. He will resign from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, within 10 days of this agreement.

2. He will agree to not engage in any law enforcement position in the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida (which includes Duval, Clay, and Nassau counties) for the next 3 years. Court documents didn't clarify if he could move somewhere else and then resume employment in law enforcement.

3. He will complete 50 hours of community service within one year.

4. He will complete an anger management program within one year.

5. He will pay a $150 fee to the State of Florida and a $20 fee to First Coast Crime Stoppers.

6. He agrees not to violate any federal, state, or local laws for the next three years.

7. He agrees that if any of the terms of this deal are violated, the State Attorney's Office can re-file charges and proceed with prosecution.

Court documents show James has already handed in his formal resignation letter to JSO, with an effective end date of August 2nd, 2018.

According to the disposition statement, this non-prosecution agreement was reached, as the State of Florida felt there were 'significant trial risks' due to a lack of what they consider to be strong evidence in the case.

While the state identified three separate uses of force against the 17-year-old suspect who had been detained and was in handcuffs, along with his 18-year-old brother, they felt the evidence would hinge on whether the jury considered the actions justified or not.

Based on the disposition statement, in the first incident, James was accused of slamming the 17-year-old's face into the patrol car's screen divider, after the teen claims he didn't know his Social Security Number. In the second incident, James was accused of removing one of the teen's from the patrol and putting him on the concrete, causing injuries to his face. The documents show James says he did so to apply a spit mask to the suspect, but some investigators felt it may have been retaliation for being spit on. As for the third incident, the statement says James was accused of repeatedly punching one of the teens in the backseat of the patrol car, though he claims the suspect was resisting and kicking him at the time.

James had been a JSO officer for about three-and-a-half years at the time of this alleged incident.