Torres-Flores won’t face prosecution
Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2008
A Springdale woman who spent four days without food or water in a secure holding cell at the Washington County Courthouse will not be prosecuted for the charges that landed her in court.
Adrianna Torres-Flores, 38, will not face prosecution on charges of unauthorized copying or sale of recordings because prosecutors have verified her alibi, 4 th Judicial District Deputy Prosecutor Mark Booher said Monday. The case had been set for trial on Wednesday.
Booher said Torres-Flores said that she agreed to watch a booth for someone else for about 20 minutes on Dec. 1 when police raided Pleasant Street Flea Market in Springdale. Spr ingdale police arrested five adults and four juveniles and seized thousands of pirated compact discs and digital video discs.
Three of the five adults accused of selling pirated materials entered a negotiated plea on March 6 to misdemeanor charges of unauthorized copying or sale of recordings. They agreed to pay $ 1, 000 in restitution to Washington County plus other fines and costs. They were all originally charged with felonies.
The charges against the other two, Torres-Flores and Mariana Martinez, 32, will not be pursued, Booher said Monday.
Torres-Flores was in court on March 6 when a similar plea agreement negotiated with her attorney fell through and 4 th Judicial Circuit William Judge Storey revoked her bond for violating a condition of her bail. She was then transported by the court bailiff, Cpl. Jarrod Hankins of the Washington County Sheriff 's Office, to the holding cell located near the courtroom.
Hankins apparently forgot to call the Sheriff's Office to pick up Torres-Flores that Thursday. Storey did not hold court Friday, and Torres-Flores was found on Monday morning when court resumed. Hankins was placed on administrative leave without pay for 30 days after an internal investigation determined the deten- tion was accidental. He has returned to work as Storey's bailiff.
Several steps have been taken to make sure this type of mishap does not reoccur. A security camera has been placed in the room, a light outside the room shows when someone is inside, and security officers routinely check the room, officials said.
Booher said language barriers between Torres-Flores, who does not speak English, and her attorney appear to have been a factor in the breakdown of the plea agreement.
The decision not to prosecute is not related to a potential civil action, he said.
Torres-Flores is expected to file some type of lawsuit seeking monetar y damages against the county. The county has offered an undisclosed settlement through her attorney, but so far no deal has been reached.
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