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Johari Deonte Harold, age 37, from Belle Glade, is among the most recent defendants who have been wrongfully released on Supervised Own Recognizance (SOR) in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Palm Beach County inmate accused of drug trafficking with a criminal history was arrested on November 18, 2019 and released on Supervised Own Recognizance the following day.
SOR is a type of pretrial inmate release that allows a defendant to leave jail (usually without a cash bond). SOR was created to help to lower the jail population for low-risk inmates and requires the suspect to routinely report to a designated official within the court system.
SOR was never intended to be used for the release of defendants who have been accused of violent crimes or those with a criminal history that indicates a risk to victims or the community.
On November 18, 2019, Harold was arrested for the fifth time in twelve years for serious criminal charges and released the following day on SOR.
In this most recent arrest, Harold was detained for trafficking Oxycodone (drug trafficking charges – Oxycodone 14 Grams Less than 25 Grams).
According to the Palm Beach County Court Records, the defendant’s criminal history started in 2007.
Between December 2007 and January 2008, Harold had been arrested twice for six (6) felony counts: Aggravated Assault with a Firearm; one count of shooting into a building; one count of Felony in Possession of Firearm or Ammunition; and one count for Sale Cocaine w/in 1000 ft of Place of Worship or Convenience.
Harold was sentenced to 3 years minimum mandatory at Department of Corrections in Palm Beach County. These charges have been noted as disposed in the Palm Beach County Court Records.
In May of 2013, Harold was arrested again on misdemeanor charges: Possession of Marijuana Less than 30 Grams and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
The following year in July, 2014, Harold was again accused and incarcerated on another felony charge, Attempted Sale of Cocaine. The defendant was released the following day and later found guilty by the court.
Although the Florida legislation does allow for a judge to issue SOR based on their discretion, this particular defendant’s criminal history indicates there has been no remorse or successful rehabilitation and a lack of respect for state laws.
Harold was initially apprehended for violent crimes using firearms and repeatedly arrested for drug crimes throughout the years, including selling opioids on cocaine. In an era where addicts are over dosing in record breaking numbers daily, selling illegal drugs, in itself, is definitely a danger to the community.
According to the 2019 Florida Statutes 903.046, Criminal Procedure and Corrections, Purpose of and Criteria for Bail Determination: (1) “The purpose of a bail determination in criminal proceedings is to ensure the appearance of the criminal defendant at subsequent proceedings and to protect the community against unreasonable danger from the criminal defendant.”
Monetary surety bonds takes the burden off taxpayers for the costs related to supervising pretrial inmates and also helps to protect victims and the community as a whole while the defendant is waiting for his court date.
RELATED: Wrongfully Released on SOR in Palm Beach County
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