More Pre Trial Release = More Crime on the Streets
Literally a Life of Crime Nets Ten Days in State Prison
From 19 years old till 34 Years Old a Constant Stream of Crime and Arrests
Neco Lashon Gay, 4-27-1983
Neco L Gay is a good example of commercial bail versus pre trial release. Numerous times she has been released from jail by commercial bail and each time the bondsman has been responsible to locate and return her to jail. State law is very specific about who can be released on "own recognizance" releases and who can issue that release.
The info below is not in sequence because Neco Gay had so many overlapping arrests and so many failure to appear charges that by May 4th 2013 even the bondsmen refused to write a bail bond on the woman.
We do not believe that Neco Gay was eligible for release under the program without the approval of a District Judge. Neco Gay has two (2) prior felony convictions and has failed to appear repeatedly, even after being released by a Special Judge on pretrial release. As of July 2, 2014 she has an active warrant for failing to appear in court.
Court records show Neco Gay was arrested for Child Endangerment, after former conviction of a felony allegedly committed on November 17, 2012 and charged in Oklahoma County case CF-2012-7801. She was ordered released from the jail on an own recognizance release by Special Judge Susan Johnson on May 23, 2013. Now remember that only a District Judge can release someone on an OR or own recongnizance. In other words, no bondsman need be hired.
After appearing on two hearing dates she failed to appear December 16, 2013 for a preliminary hearing conference in front of Special Judge Susan Johnson. Court records show that the warrant issued was cleared on March 10, 2014, meaning that she had been arrested on that date for the failure to appear in court. March 27, 2014 Special Judge Susan Johnson orders Neco Gay to be released from the jail on her word that she will appear in court on May 13, 2014 and that she will follow the rules set out by the pre trial release case worker. Legally Special Judge Susan Johnson cannot release such a person on OR, only a District Judge.
Court records show that the pretrial release case worker filed a violation of the condition of release on April 4, 2014 and April 28, 2014. Neco Gay failed to appear in court May 13, 2014. She did not even appear once after being released a second time on "pre trial release". As of July 3, 2014 she has a warrant for her arrest showing on the Oklahoma County Sheriff warrant search page.
Neco Gay has a long history of crime. Oklahoma County case number CF-2005-5548 shows a charge of forgery in the second degree on September 19, 2005. A guilty plea was entered on March 16, 2007 and the defendant received a five (5) year suspended sentence with five (5) weekends to do in the county jail. September 24, 2007 a warrant was issued for a revocation of the suspended sentence due to a failure to complete the terms agreed to by Neco Gay. She bonded out of jail on January 25, 2008 and failed to appear for arraignments, the very first court appearance on February 4, 2008. The bondsman agrees to assist Neco Gay again and posts a second bond on February 12, 2008. After three (3) court appearances, Neco Gay fails to appear in court on July 23, 2008 and a warrant is issued for her arrest and a bondsman picked her up to return her to jail.
In both of the above cases Neco Gay was picked up by her bondsmen and returned to the jail.
August 5, 2008 the warrant issue is cleared and Neco Gay is in custody in the Oklahoma County jail. September 3, 2008 another agreement with the court is entered and she is released from the jail. January 2, 2009 Neco Gay has a warrant issued for her arrest for failing to comply with the terms agreed to just four (4) months prior. Another agreement with the court is made to fulfill her obligations, yet on September 16, 2009 a warrant for her arrest is issued. She is released from the jail by a bondsman posting a bond on December 7, 2009 and then on February 16, 2010 she fails to appear in court as ordered. Again she is returned by a bondsman and again on March 25, 2010 she is released by a bondsman's signature and she enters into an agreement to complete the terms of her probation.
On October 26, 2011 a warrant is issued for the arrest of Neco Gay for a revocation of probation, she is arrested, a bondsman posts a bond and she fails to appear in court. The bondsman returns her to custody and she appears in court on May 7, 2013 she is released on her word that she will reappear in court ordered. On December 17, 2013 she fails to appear and is arrested again on March 10, 2014 for the warrant in the revocation of probation and the failure to appear in the new case Oklahoma
Oklahoma County case CF-2003-6199 shows a conviction for Larceny of merchandise from a retailer. Neco Gay pled guilty and was sentenced to 1 year suspended sentence and fines. According to the online court record the fines and fees are unpaid.
Oklahoma County case Cf-2002-2325 is an embezzlement by employee allegedly occurring on January 28, 2002. Neco Gay entered a plea of guilty and will receive a deferred sentence if she completes the agreed terms. The case was finally dismissed on May 12, 2004 after a violation of probation and Two (2) failure to appears in court, both after being released from jail by bail bond companies.
Every single time Neco Gay was bonded out of jail by a bondsman she was quickly arrested and returned to jail when she missed a court date. Every single time she was released on OR without a bond she didn't make any of the court dates until the police just happened to run across her on other arrests.
Neco Gay ultimately received six months sentence in state prison from 2002 till 2016 for all of these crimes including child endangerment. And how much actual prison time did she actually serve? January 8th of 2015 she shows up in Lexington and leaves Lexington January 17th 2015. Ten days in jail total in 17 years of crime.
In the meantime Oklahoma County spends $2,000,000.00 per year on the pre trial release program and the criminals pay nearly zero in court costs or fines to pay for their cost to society. Police arrest and re arrest the same criminals over and over again and the judges give the same criminals break after break after break. Meanwhile the bondsmen are in danger of being driven out of business because the judges are releasing criminals with histories of refusing to show up to court.
And the soft on crime crowd wants more pre trial relase. The soft on crime crowd wants fewer people to go to prison.
