NEW ORLEANS — Domestic abuse suspect Lewis Stokes, who was released without a court-ordered bracelet due to an oversight by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office deputy, pleaded 'not guilty' on Wednesday to the following charges:
- Domestic Abuse, Child Endangerment
- Violation of Protective Order with Battery
The 36-year-old Stokes bonded out of jail on Nov. 15 after having been charged with domestic abuse, child endangerment, and assault.
A judge required Stokes to wear a court-ordered ankle monitor to track his movements 24 hours a day, but a sheriff's office employee did not follow the order.
Following his release, Stokes allegedly beat another woman in Jefferson Parish. He was re-arrested 12 days later.
“As the Orleans Parish Sheriff, I own this incident,” Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said shortly after her staff's failure to fit Stokes with the tracking device. “We are working to make sure it does not happen again. It is the first time it has happened under my administration.
"Our staff has taken swift, corrective action to make sure we don't have a massive oversight like this again."
A motions hearing is set for Jan. 18, 2024.