A Happy Valley woman who spent a night in jail even though authorities learned shortly after her arrest that she was innocent has been awarded $101,500 in damages.

Jurors deliberated less than two hours before reaching a 10-2 verdict upholding Kimberly Fossen's claims of negligence and false imprisonment against Clackamas County.

Fossen spent more than a day in custody in November 2009 although Clackamas County Sheriff's Office learned she was innocent shortly after she was arrested. Instead of being released, Fossen spent the night in jail. The following afternoon she was arraigned while shackled and dressed in inmate clothing.

A few hours later, she was released.

"You really have to experience it to know how it feels," Fossen told the jury.

As she left the jail, a deputy said, "I lost a bet on whether you were telling the truth," Fossen told the jury.

Clackamas County deputies arrested Fossen Nov. 4, 2009, on a New York warrant accusing her of theft.

New York City detectives believed she had drugged and robbed a man.

In fact, the woman police were looking for, Minh Thuy Nguyen, had assumed Fossen's identity. Nguyen identified herself as Fossen when she gave DNA samples during previous arrests.

So when DNA found at the New York crime scene was tested, Fossen became a suspect.

Clackamas County deputies arrested Fossen on a New York warrant accusing her of theft.

"It just didn't make sense," said John Devlin, Fossen's attorney. Fossen was a suburban mom who had lived in the same Happy Valley home and worked at the same restaurant job for years.

She also is 10 years older than Nguyen and the women looked nothing alike.

More than a year earlier, in February 2008, Fossen discovered she was the victim of identity theft when a Clackamas County deputy knocked on her door. The deputy told he that a woman arrested in Las Vegas had a Florida driver's license issued in Fossen's name.

The Sheriff's Office, however, did not inform the New York City detectives that Fossen was an identity theft victim.

She told the deputies who arrested her that she had been the victim of identity theft. Fossen asked them to check her fingerprints to verify her story, something that could have been done without arresting her.

The county claimed it was simply assisting New York City police in making an arrest and holding Fossen until she could be extradited.

"We regret that the New York detectives and magistrate were not as attentive and careful in issuing the warrant to prevent these types of mistakes in identity," said Clackamas County Counsel Stephen Madkour.

"Ms. Fossen hopes this case makes it more likely this won't happen to anyone else," Devlin said.

"It's a bad feeling not being able to trust the people who are supposed to protect you," Fossen said.