By Brian Hamlin
Vallejo Times-Herald
VALLEJO, Calif. — The Solano County Sheriff’s Office is trying to figure out how a handcuffed, 57-year-old probationer was somehow misplaced in the Vallejo courthouse two weeks ago and then forgotten as court employees left for a long holiday weekend.
Fortunately, an alert janitor found the man before the building was completely deserted.
According to Sheriff’s Lt. Gary Faulkner, Solano County Superior Court Commissioner Raymond Wieser had ordered Calvin Jones of Vallejo jailed on a probation violation about 9:10 a.m. on Feb. 11, the day before the court’s four-day Lincoln’s birthday-Presidents Day holiday was to begin.
A courtroom bailiff apparently handcuffed Jones, then placed him in a secured attorney-client interview room before resuming courtroom duties. The bailiff never returned and apparently went off duty that afternoon without moving Jones or making arrangements for him to be taken to the Solano County Jail in Fairfield.
Jones was left in the room, without food, water or access to restroom facilities for more than 10 hours, until a janitor at the Tuolumne Street courthouse discovered his plight about 7:25 p.m. and notified the Sheriff’s Office.
“Deputies responded within 30 minutes and got him out of there,” Faulkner told The Reporter, admitting that the situation “could have been very bad” had Jones been left uncared for in the courthouse over the long weekend.
Deputies, he reported, made sure Jones had restroom access and provided food and beverages before taking him to NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield for a check-up prior to booking him at County Jail on the probation violation.
“This practice of leaving a secured inmate in an attorney-client interview room directly violates existing policy, procedures and training pertaining to the safe handling of inmates in our custody,” Faulkner said in a prepared statement. “Existing policies and procedures will be reviewed with all personnel assigned to work in the courts.” The matter, he said, is under administrative review and circumstances leading up to the incident are being investigated.
Jones remains in Solano County Jail custody and is expected to be released on March 19.