By Holly Werris
WOODLAND, CA – Nearly 100 days of jail time may have been overlooked had it not been for the due diligence of the Yolo County Public Defender’s Office here last week.
A man charged with felony grand theft had spent 184 days in pretrial detention before appearing before the court for sentencing.
Deputy Public Defender Joseph Gocke brought this fact to the court’s attention at the sentencing hearing, noting total credits for the accused was 368 days.
Gocke also requested that the sentence did not include fines or fees. “He’s participating successfully in mental health court right now,” Gocke said.
Judge Samuel McAdam seemed surprised by the discrepancy in credits. “How did we miss credits that badly?”
McAdam asked the probation officer for insight, who admitted to the court, “I was caught off-guard.”
Gocke informed the court he had been in touch with probation, who had thanked him for identifying the missing credits.
McAdam then turned to the prosecution. “It’s not a mystery he was in custody,” he said.
The accused was sentenced to 364 days in jail, but his 368 credits were noted so his sentence was time-served.
“I can’t order 368 days,” McAdam said, who put the accused on probation and ordered him to mental health court. The accused was also ordered to pay $300 in restitution. Other than criminal assessment and court operation fees, all fines and fees were waived.
“I hate when that happens,” McAdam said after the sentencing. “You do a whole year in jail, and people forget. We got that one, though. Mr. Gocke was on it.”
