HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Supreme Court has ruled that a Honolulu prisoner serving a five-year sentence on an escape charge should be set free.
Hawaii News Now reports that 52-year-old Eugene Paris had been convicted of escape after missing a scheduled check-in at the prison as part of his agreement in a work furlough program.
The state high court on Monday agreed with Paris’ attorney, who argued that his client’s failure to check in shouldn’t be considered escape because he hadn’t technically been in prison custody.
The court has vacated Paris’ conviction, but Attorney Marcus Landsberg says it’s still unclear when he will be released.
The state Attorney General’s Office called the decision a “narrow ruling,” saying the case doesn’t apply to every inmate who failed to return from work furlough.