Clipboard : Bail Jumpers

During the first five months of the year, about half the people arrested in the Central Orange County Judicial District and then released on bail failed to turn up for their trials. Between Jan. 1 and June 3, 1,287 people were allowed to leave jail on bail; 614, or 48%, did not show up in court.

The largest single category involved those arrested for drug offenses, with the bulk of those taken into custody because they were thought to be driving under the influence of drugs, including alcohol. The failure-to-appear percentage for the entire category was somewhat below the overall figure.

The group with the best record for coming back to court were those arrested for sex crimes, mostly prostitution. Only about one-third did not make it back to face the judge.

Here’s how the various groups compare:

Number Number of Percentage Kind of Offense Released No-Shows Failed to Show Drug offenses 856 374 43 Larceny 71 46 65 Weapons violations 17 7 41 Fraud 33 21 64 Assault 28 17 61 Sex crimes 31 10 32 Property crimes 49 31 63 Personal crimes* 26 15 58 Vehicular offenses 158 82 52 Disorderly conduct 14 7 50 Miscellaneous 4 4 100 TOTAL 1,287 614 48

*Includes such offenses as cruelty to children, taking a child into a bar, failing to provide for a child and injuring a spouse

Source: Municipal Court of the Central Orange County Judicial District

Researched by APRIL D. JACKSON / Los Angeles Times