Bail Jumping 'Frustrating' for Those Trying to Catch Offenders
By: Monica Yantosh
Updated: January 16, 2013
According to District Attorney Matt Powell someone having time out before reporting to jail is not a usual occurrence.
"That's pretty rare, when someone is sentenced, or a jury finds someone guilty and then they're sentenced, they're usually taken into custody immediately," said Powell.
One way to try to not only get people to appear, but also get people to stay in jail deals with the bond.
"Anytime you have an increase in bond you're going to keep people in jail," said Powell
"It doesn't make the justice system look very good, huh?" said Rod Hobson, a Lubbock Criminal Defense Attorney.
He said people not reporting to prison is rare in Lubbock, because he found it's usually not an option.
"The client never wants to go to prison, and I've discovered, there's never a good day to go to prison; not Monday, not Wednesday, not Friday, never a good day to go to prison," said Hobson.
Jeena Roberts, a former Texas Tech students, was supposed to report to prison on January 7th. This was after pleading guilty to intoxicated manslaughter in November 2012 for an October 2010 accident.
She was sentenced to 15 years for the intoxicated manslaughter count. She never showed up at prison on the 7th.
Powell said it's frustrating for his office when someone does not report. "It's frustrating in the fact that, it's something you should be finished and done with that particular case," said Powell. "You have to dedicate resources that needed to be used elsewhere, to try to look for her, to try to find her."
Still, there have been no signs of Roberts. Because she failed to appear on the 7th, Roberts now has a warrant for a felony bail jump charge, which could land her another 2 to 10 years in prison.
"That's pretty rare, when someone is sentenced, or a jury finds someone guilty and then they're sentenced, they're usually taken into custody immediately," said Powell.
One way to try to not only get people to appear, but also get people to stay in jail deals with the bond.
"Anytime you have an increase in bond you're going to keep people in jail," said Powell
"It doesn't make the justice system look very good, huh?" said Rod Hobson, a Lubbock Criminal Defense Attorney.
He said people not reporting to prison is rare in Lubbock, because he found it's usually not an option.
"The client never wants to go to prison, and I've discovered, there's never a good day to go to prison; not Monday, not Wednesday, not Friday, never a good day to go to prison," said Hobson.
Jeena Roberts, a former Texas Tech students, was supposed to report to prison on January 7th. This was after pleading guilty to intoxicated manslaughter in November 2012 for an October 2010 accident.
She was sentenced to 15 years for the intoxicated manslaughter count. She never showed up at prison on the 7th.
Powell said it's frustrating for his office when someone does not report. "It's frustrating in the fact that, it's something you should be finished and done with that particular case," said Powell. "You have to dedicate resources that needed to be used elsewhere, to try to look for her, to try to find her."
Still, there have been no signs of Roberts. Because she failed to appear on the 7th, Roberts now has a warrant for a felony bail jump charge, which could land her another 2 to 10 years in prison.
