Jan 17, 2014 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – A bench warrant was issued Thursday for a Mt. Morris man who fled from an escape charge.

Timothy Paul Mitchell, 27, of 275 Black Runs Road, failed to appear for a pre-trial hearing in Greene County Court Tuesday afternoon. The court rescheduled the appearance for the following morning but Mitchell again was a no-show.

Tom Pearson III, of Fayette Bailbonds, Inc., said he received credible word Mitchell planned to run and filed information Jan. 6 with the court asking Mitchell be taken into custody and his bail revoked. Greene County Judge Farley Toothman signed the order returning Mitchell to custody. However, Jan. 9, Toothman vacated the order and entered one that Mitchell be released from jail immediately with the stipulation he comply with conditions of bail. He further ordered that a bail-modification hearing be scheduled to consider a modification of the original conditions with Pearson present.

“I had no problem with the court putting him back on bail, just not putting him back out under my bail piece. I was informed this person was looking to run. Plus, the whole case was about escape,” said Pearson, directing his words to the court. “This isn’t his first rodeo here. You gave him a chance and he did it again.”

Pearson said he didn’t have an opportunity to be present in the court when Toothman made the decision to vacate the order and allow Mitchell out on bail Jan. 9.

Mitchell’s original sentence stemmed from an incident June 10, 2011. His blood-alcohol content was 0.258 percent when he wrecked an all-terrain vehicle on Blacks Run Road in Perry Township. He was sentenced to nine months to 5 years in the Greene County intermediate punishment program where the first portion of one’s sentence is served in jail and the remainder on house arrest and probation. As a special condition of his sentence, Mitchell was given work release privileges. On March 18 he failed to return to the jail after leaving for work. A warrant was issued for his arrest and the escape charge was filed.

Pearson said he located Mitchell and returned him to jail four days later. Mitchell was subsequently released Aug. 16 on $4,000 bail. He eventually requested a jury trial that was scheduled for Feb. 12.

In October, Mitchell was deemed appropriate for the court’s re-entry program where he made his first appearance Oct. 22. Re-entry court is offered to those who could benefit from more extensive programming for issues such as substance abuse, illiteracy and mental health problems. A plan is devised for each individual based on need with specific goals set which are suitable to their specific situation. If all of the conditions are met they are eligible for possible early release from their sentence.

Mitchell attended the November and December re-entry courts. The next re-entry court is scheduled for Jan. 28.

“Now they are probably going to ask me to help find him again. I already had him. I found him,” Pearson said. “I did my part to try to have this problem not occur a second time. When I pulled my bail I had a reason for pulling it.”