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| Ruling Frees Nearly 20 Inmates |
| By The Toledo Blade |
| Published: 03/06/2006 |
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Nearly a quarter of the Ohio inmates who were released after a January ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court were convicted in Lucas County, records show. Since the ruling, the state has released 79 felons, including nearly 20 sentenced by Lucas County judges on offenses including sex crimes, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated robbery, and felonious assault. The Supreme Court ruled that inmates must be released if judges failed to notify them in court that they would be placed on parole after they completed their sentences. Those who were released were sent back to prison after they violated their parole. All had finished their initial prison sentences. It is unknown how many more inmates could be released or how many more of the 30,000 people under the parole authority's supervision could have their parole terminated. The parole authority has also suspended supervision of nearly 450 people who had finished their sentences and were on post-release control. The Lucas County Common Pleas Court staff is sorting through the records on sentencing hearings and providing information that could correct the deficiency that the parole authority says is causing it to lose control over defendants. "We are looking at the record and taking corrective action,'' said Jean Atkin, court administrator. State officials have told the court that about 600 cases from Lucas County could be released from the parole authority's supervision. Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates said the parole authority is abiding by the high court's ruling. However, she said she was concerned that dangerous felons could be set loose or terminated from the parole authority's control. "The decision has impacted the entire state. Some of these people are very dangerous, and they absolutely should be subject to post-release control,'' she said. The decision stems from the case of a Cleveland-area man sent back to prison for violating terms of his parole for a cocaine possession conviction, a crime for which he served seven years in prison. Henry Hernandez was released from prison in February, 2005. Texas troopers found $18,000 in his car when he was stopped for speeding. The Parole Authority sent him back to prison for 160 days for violating his parole. However, the Supreme Court said the original trial judge didn't notify Hernandez about post-release control, which is better known as parole, at his sentencing hearing for the drug charge. JoEllen Lyons, a spokesman for the state prison system, said the Ohio Adult Parole Authority had reviewed 16,218 cases of people under its supervision as of last week to determine if they had sentences similar to that of Hernandez. "The parole authority is still in the process of doing those screenings,'' she said. |
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