Jailers thwarted escape attempt
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 02:04 p.m., January 29, 2008
Updated 02:04 p.m., January 29, 2008
A man facing a jury trial Monday for aggravated burglary pleaded guilty instead, after jailers thwarted his attempt to escape custody.
Justin Pruitt, 25, had been brought to Lyon County District Court on Monday morning. He had been accused of breaking into the home of two young women, according to Assistant Lyon County Attorney Tim Dupree.
“They heard noise on the back porch, or mud room, turned on the light to see who was there, and there he was,” Dupree said.
Pruitt was facing 120 months in court, if convicted. He had been placed in Category B for sentencing, based on criminal history, Dupree said.
“When the jailer was bringing him out for some pre-trial motions, immediately upon opening the door from the holding cells to the courtroom, he took a dash for the door,” he said.
Defendants coming into jury trials in Lyon County usually are allowed to appear without handcuffs or shackles and in street clothing or suits instead of the orange jump suits worn by inmates at the jail. Those who are considered to be risks for causing physical problems or escapes are not granted that exemption.
Pruitt’s dash for the door gained him 20 to 30 feet of freedom until he was in custody again.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Dupree said. “The judge was a witness, (I) was a witness ... “
Dupree said that even though prosecutors always feel they are bringing in a solid case on behalf of the state, the results of jury trials are not predictable.
“There’s always an opportunity. You just never really know which way a jury’s going to go,” Dupree said. “He didn’t have anything to lose (by going to trial). ... When he took that dash for the door, he just basically shot himself in the foot.”
Pruitt decided to plead guilty to the aggravated burglary charge in exchange for the state’s not pursuing additional charges for trying to escape custody.
Pruitt is due to be sentenced on Wednesday for a conviction in late December on charges of attempted burglary of a vehicle, Dupree said. Pruitt was acquitted of battery in that case.
slipandslide (anonymous) says...
what a loser
January 29, 2008 at 3:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hartford (anonymous) says...
LOL! Yeah I'd have to agree slipandslide.
January 29, 2008 at 3:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
Well, this could be our dumb criminal story for the day. I guess if they were smart they wouldn't be criminals.
January 29, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truelovecharlie (anonymous) says...
LMAO---120 months in "COURT" that'll make the new courthouse pay off.
January 29, 2008 at 7:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
offc_grl76 (anonymous) says...
YES THIS IS THE SAME JUSTIN PRUITT WHO IS A SEX OFFENDER. Six years ago he cut the screen off of my bedroom window and climbed into my house to "watch me sleep" I called the local police and they found him and only charged him with criminal trespassing. That piece of paper they gave him did not stop him from trying to come to my house, had to talk to a friend on the force and he took care of it and re-arrested him for violating his criminal trespassing order. Not more than 6 months later he went to Topeka and was accused of RAPE. Why wasn't this offender locked up earlier. Why does our justice system keep letting this guy get out. It took many more cases against him and an attempted escape before they sent him away for 10 years.
I commend the officer who was in court with him and took the proper steps to keep him from escaping. I hope his supervisor's see what an excellent job he did to prevent a sex offender from running loose on the streets.
January 29, 2008 at 7:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
lol, saw that too charlie, I'd much rather go to prison than spend 120 months in court.
January 29, 2008 at 8:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )