Published Jul 26, 2002 8:40 am : Updated Jul 16, 2014 1:31 pm
A Contra Costa County judge says a simple error led to the mistaken release of an inmate facing life in prison, not a flaw in jail policy. Judge Mary Ann O´Malley says a clerk confused felon Kevin Ford with another inmate last month and freed Ford instead of Kenneth Ford, who had been ordered released on probation in a minor drug case. Kevin Ford was facing years in prison on a third strike for two robberies and was being held on 840-thousand dollars bail. The mistake was also missed by a clerk and a sergeant who are supposed to double-check paperwork for releasing inmates. Both men were freed the same day. Kevin Ford hasn´t been seen since.
This post was last modified on 07/16/2014 1:31 pm