Dangerous prisoner freed from prison on Rikers Island by mistake

The inmate's gross insult to the judge unexpectedly gave the murder suspect a way out, although he had to remain in prison. The shocking error of the New York Department of Corrections was reported by the publication New York Daily News.

Murder accused Christopher Baggs was put on a wanted list on March 10 after he was mistakenly released from prison on Rikers Island. This mistake by the Department of Corrections officers was against the logic and the prison protocol. Baggs, who is considered “armed and dangerous” by police, was released despite a court order to hold him without bail pending his conviction on a 2018 murder charge.

The confusion began on February 16, when a prisoner via video link joined a court hearing in his case, which was being led by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent Del Guidice. According to the minutes of the meeting, the accused showed aggression when his application for bail was rejected.

Baggs began shouting sexual insults at the judge. The judge reminded him that contempt of court is punishable, to which Baggs shouted, “Damn it, no disrespect,” and again added an obscene insult.

Del Guidice found Baggs guilty on two counts of contempt of court, each sentencing him to 30 days in prison.

This is where the main mistake happened. A lesser minor conviction was erroneously recorded as an arrest for murder decision. As a result, on March 10, Baggs was released (60 days of imprisonment were counted not from the date of the trial, but from the day of his arrest). In doing so, correctional officers and warders ignored the murder charge, which usually does not involve the release of the accused pending trial without bail. In New York, only those who have committed minor crimes are released without bail pending trial.

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Baggs was given cash and a MetroCard, was put on the correctional bus, and on March 9 at 2 am he was already free. A day later, when the mistake became known, the US marshals put him on the wanted list. But the man is still at large.

Prior to his erroneous release, 26-year-old Baggs was imprisoned without bail awaiting trial for the January 55 murder of 2018-year-old Ernest Brownlee. The murder took place in a Brooklyn restaurant where the deceased intended to dine.

"They need to find this guy," said Brownlee's 55-year-old widow Winifred McKins. - I do not like this. I am angry".

According to sources, the release of any prisoner usually requires a series of checks, including permission from the on-duty assistant director of the prison. Each prisoner also has a file with his file and computer records indicating the charges: in Buggs' case, a charge of murder and a minor charge of contempt of court.

Sources told The News that Baggs was on the Department of Corrections records as a murder accused prior to his release. Correctional officials and Mayor de Blasio have pledged to conduct a full investigation into the confusion.

“We're going to take additional measures to ensure that this never happens again,” the mayor said. - This is very upsetting. Meanwhile, we have a high level of confidence that he will be re-detained soon. "

According to one current and one former correctional officer, the process of releasing a prisoner usually begins with asking correctional officers to prepare the prisoner for release.

The Rikers Island headquarters then authorizes release, followed by approval from three reception officers, where prisoners are checked in or out of the prison. The next step requires the approval of the captain for the reception of prisoners, and only then the assistant to the deputy governor of the prison gives the final approval for the release of the prisoner.

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Joe Russo, president of the union representing deputy and assistant deputy governors of prisons, blamed a clerical error in court.

“Someone made a mistake in court, and it’s hard for the jailers to notice,” he said. - The prisoner goes through all these hands, and everyone (in prisons) sees that "the term of imprisonment has been served." What they saw in these recordings misled them. "

At the same time, all sources agreed that the presence of a clause on the charge of murder in the record should have alerted at least someone, but for some reason they did not pay attention to it.

This is not the first time that the city's Department of Corrections has released a prisoner by mistake: between 2009 and 2014, correctional officers and authorities have freed 23 inmates by mistake.