By Tommy Nguyen
VENTURA, CA – Ventura County Superior Court Judge Patricia Murphy Tuesday addressed a logistical issue regarding phone access in jail and ordered the Sheriff’s Office to accommodate Ashley Sims with her treatment interview.
Ashley Monique Sims was charged with felony arson of another’s property, to which she had pleaded guilty. She was arrested on May 15 for a dumpster fire that started a day earlier in Camarillo.
Judge Murphy has spoken with a sergeant in charge at the jail, and found the jail is currently changing its policy regarding facilitating access to the telephone for interviews and conferences.
There seems to be a “workload personnel issue” that has developed as in-person visitation is now available. The jail is no longer inclined to facilitate phone requests, and the court had no intention of ordering the Sheriff’s Office to do things differently, said the judge.
However, the court ordered the accused to be transferred directly to the Tarzana Treatment Program, which could not be complied with if a phone interview was not facilitated.
This particular program requires an assessment prior to the transfer, and they do not conduct in-person interviews. The only way for Sims to meet the set deadline is to have a phone interview with them.
The sergeant assured the judge that he will accommodate the accused with her phone call.
