NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — An accused man who had been released from custody just one day earlier was unable to arrive on time for his scheduled court appearance Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Harbor Justice Center because he lacked transportation to the courthouse.
The accused was charged Sept. 28 with one count of first-degree residential burglary, to which he pleaded not guilty. He also faced an allegation that the offense was committed while he was released from custody, which he denied. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 21 at 8:30 a.m.
His attorney stated that the accused had been placed on monitored pretrial release the previous day, Oct. 20.
The accused was not present when his case was called because he lacked transportation to the courthouse.
According to the study “Making Ends Meet After Prison,” “Another key determinant of whether returning prisoners are able to establish conventional lifestyles is meeting basic material needs.”
Access to transportation can be particularly important for individuals required to appear in court shortly after their release from custody, as illustrated by the circumstances facing the accused in this case.
Another study, “Can Transportation Subsidies Reduce Failures to Appear in Criminal Court? Evidence From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial,” conducted in 2022, examined whether providing free public transportation to people accused of crimes could improve attendance at scheduled court hearings.
Researchers found no statistically significant increase in court attendance, suggesting that transportation subsidies alone may not resolve barriers to appearing in court. The findings also raise questions about the broader challenges individuals face in arranging transportation, particularly immediately after release from custody.
Because the accused was not present for his scheduled 8:30 a.m. hearing, Judge Derek G. Johnson reassigned the matter to another courtroom at the Harbor Justice Center for 10:30 a.m.
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