Extra Jail Time, Anyone?
Picture this: you've been convicted of a crime and sentenced to four months in jail, to be followed by four years and eight months of probation. You go to prison, four months pass, and nothing happens. You write letters, trying to convince the proper authorities you should be released, but without luck.
Sounds pretty miserable, right?
According to reports from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and EarthTimes.org, this scenario actually took place. And the man it affected has only just been freed.
David Glass, also known under the name Roderick Carter, a 44-year old man from Atlanta, Georgia, was originally convicted for trying to sell cocaine to an undercover police officer, according to sources. At trial, he was reportedly sentenced to five years—four months to be served in prison and the remainder on probation.
But the clerk responsible for recording Glass's sentence accidentally noted that he was to spend four years and four months in prison before being released, sources say. And, while trying to convince authorities that he was supposed to be a free man, Glass ended up in prison almost a year.
Unfortunately, errors of this kind are not completely unheard of. In early December, an arrest warrant was incorrectly issued for an Arizona councilman, according to azstarnet.com. And in Canada, one inmate was improperly released during a transfer between two prison facilities, also because of a clerk's mistake.
So what causes mistakes like this? In Glass's case, a few factors contributed.
Sources indicate that the Fulton Country court administrator believes the county's non-computerized system of records played a role in the mix-up. With an automated system, such transcription errors could be more easily avoided.
Plus, Glass's letters asking for release reportedly contained abbreviations and misspellings, possibly making their interpretation difficult on the receiving end.
And, to further complicate matters, David Glass used both that name and his alias, Roderick Carter, during the official proceedings of the case.
Records show that Glass received his original sentence under the name David Glass and signed his letters asking for his release from prison as David Glass. But, as Roderick Carter, the man allegedly has a lengthy criminal history. At his resentencing, reports indicate that he introduced himself to the judge as Roderick Carter.
For those who had any difficulty following the last two paragraphs, the mystery of the clerical error may be becoming a little less mysterious.
Despite the obvious complications to Glass's case, the Journal-Constitution notes, the clerk responsible has been demoted and could face further disciplinary action.