A woman sentenced to two days in jail was locked up for 154 days after a judge forgot to sign the order for her release.
Destiny Hoffman, 34, was given two days on August 22 by Clark County Circuit Court Judge Jerry Jacobi in Indiana for diluting her drug screen results, violating her court-appointed treatment program.
The judge ordered Ms Hoffman, from Jeffersonville, held without bond ‘until further order of the court’. However it then slipped the judge’s mind to issue that order for five months.
Judge Jacobi was unavailable for comment when contacted by MailOnline due to the ongoing investigation and an official at Clark County Circuit Court refused to make any further remarks on the matter.
According to newsandtribune.com, Judge Jacobi ordered Hoffman sent to jail without a hearing or legal counsel.
It is unclear why Ms Hoffman did not let prison officials know that she was being held for an undue length of time.
Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Michaelia Gilbert began investigating Hoffman’s incarceration last Wednesday while reviewing old case files. She entered a motion seeking an immediate status hearing, writing that Hoffman’s civil liberties were violated by the term of her incarceration.
Indiana Special Judge Steven Fleece described the incident as a ‘big screw up’.
Hoffman’s attorney, Nathan Masingo, said he was not even aware he client had been jailed and may file a lawsuit against county officials alleging she was unlawfully incarcerated.
Two drug court program employees were placed on unpaid leave on January 7 after the mix-up came to light.
Judge Jerry Jacobi should have to serve those same 154 days to help him remember for next time!
As for her ability to alert her jailers to her problem, generally those who are incarcerated on the county level are treated as trash. I doubt there was anything she could say that would get them to look into it.