The Orleans Sheriff’s Office is scrambling to put new safeguards in place at the parish prison after domestic abuse suspect Lewis Stokes was released from jail but not fitted with a court-ordered ankle monitor.
“As the Orleans Parish Sheriff, I own this incident,” Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said. “We are working to make sure it does not happen again. It is the first time it had happened under my administration.”
Stokes was booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center October 30, on counts of domestic abuse battery, child endangerment and simple assault. He bonded out of jail shortly before midnight, Wednesday night.
Sheriff Hutson confirmed that two hours later, Stokes allegedly attacked the woman who posted his bond. The beating that sent the woman to the hospital with serious injuries, happened in the 1600 block of Alexander Court in Terrytown.
Stokes is now charged with two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery in Jefferson Parish.
OPSO Chief Investigator Danny Denoux says Stokes has family on the Westbank.
“I can tell you we have nothing to say. He’s left the area,” Denoux said.
Starting immediately, release paperwork at the jail will indicate whether an ankle monitor is needed. Additional training will be provided for staff in the processing area.
The sheriff’s office also intends to hire a new night supervisor.
Hutson says employees who released Stokes prematurely have been disciplined.
“At least one person who acted on the release is being referred for investigation, but we have to look at the entire system as well to see where are there any shortcomings in it. That is a process that will play out. We will report back what we found.”
Matt Dennis at ASAP, the predominant electronic monitoring company in New Orleans called Stokes’ release, a simple breakdown.
“We have to create the connection from the court to the clerk, to the jail, to us,” Dennis said. “We have to make sure nobody skips any steps.”
There is now an arrest warrant out in Jefferson Parish for Lewis Stokes on the new abuse charges.
According to Hutson, the woman who was attacked early Thursday, is not the same woman Stokes is accused of beating in October.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.