Escape artist?
Raymond Taylor, imprisoned on three consecutive life terms for trying to kill his ex-girlfriend and her two children, scammed his way out of prison by posing as another inmate. Prison authorities inisist Taylor as a striking resemblance to William Johnson. (Taylor is at left, Johnson on the right)
Here are the two mug shots. You decide. The officials say they are about the same height, same build, same complexion and roughly the same age. Taylor had longer hair, but they said he was wearing a hat. Both had goatees.
So many questions still remain. If the escape was how officials say (he was arrested in West Virginia on Friday), then how on earth did Taylor, awaiting transport to a courthouse in Southern Maryland so he could press a civil claim, convince Johnson, who was hours away from his own freedom after serving two years for burglary, to switch IDs? And then, how did corrections officers fail to notice that the picture on Taylor's ID card wasn't him, despite three checks? Apparently, the only thing they do is compare faces and make sure the inmate can recite his prison ID number. Maybe some more checks are in order.
And more broadly, the case raises questions about why prisoners need to be transported all over the state for court cases. Taylor wasn't being driven 256 miles from his Cumberland prison cell to Princess Anne for a criminal case, but rather because he had sued a woman over what he claimed was her failure to pay him $685 for Shrek drawings meant to be sold at a flea market.
Should inmates be allowed to file civil suits like this and then be transported at our expense to courtrooms around the state? State officials cannot decide which lawsuit has merit and which one doesn't, and they must transport based on judge's orders.
But each time a prisoner is moved, and house overnight on a stop-over in Baltimore, it increases the chances that something will go wrong, or human error will aid in a mistaken release or escape.
Anyway, at above left is one of the court papers Taylor filed and his drawing (looks more like a tracing to me) of Shrek, contained in the court files in Somerset County District Court. I apologize for it being some small (and unreadable, in the case of the court file) but it gives you some idea of the drawing at the heart of the case.
Categories: Courts and the justice system
Comments
What a ridiculous perversion of justice! Not to mention the obvious absurdities involved with allowing murderous inmates the "right" to pursue frivolous civil claims at the taxpayers' expense.
Did it occur to anyone that these field trips would present great opportunities for Mr. Taylor to escape? Did it occur to anyone that Mr. Taylor's Shrek drawings are intellectual property crimes, as they are a copyright infringement, thus rendering his civil case moot?
Also, judging from these photos, what little resemblance these two men bear is hardly of the separated-at-birth variety. It's comforting to know that reciting an ID number correctly is the only obstacle keeping a violent criminal from returning to the streets. Perhaps he jotted the number down on the palm of his hand, Palin-style.
And would it be too much to ask of Mr. Taylor to take off his hat when they are trying to verify his identity?????
But by all means confer good-time credits to Mr. Taylor for not shooting anyone during his time as fugitive.
And once again, please name names of the individuals responsible for letting this happen.
Posted by: Justice For Whom? | March 1, 2010 1:20 PM
Finger prints...they should do finger printing instead of them reciting the id #...and the authorities think they look a like...the eyes are different shape, lips different shape/size, hair color one is dark than the the and the nose completely different not to mention one is darker complexed than the other...who ever was looking over these mug shots and/or looking at the persons really need their eyes checked. they are many difference in these pics, even check the size in the ears u can see the one even though the hair is covering most but the length longer then the other and heads are shaped differently as well...and we leave are lives and safety in the hands of these wonderful authorities...
Posted by: wondering | March 1, 2010 9:12 PM
you had the time to look at the pic side by side, this man looked down and looked up at a guys face who was suposed to be released. im not taking up for the mistake of these correction officers, but im sure this is the first time anything like this has happend, and sure it will be the last. as many prisons as we have here in cumberland, they should be on top of these things. 3 life terms... i hope he enjoyed his couple days/hours of freedom. he deserved it after getting over on these mentaly challenged STATE employees. im sure this man was going to finish the job that he "tried" to do years ago to get his 3 life terms, if that happend the prison guard that let this man go free should have been punished. the prison systems spend millions and millions of dollars to house these criminals, why not spend a couple extra on some more training?? im sure tax payers would rather see the prisoners staying behind bars then worrying about a mad man breaking into their home.
Posted by: steven | March 25, 2010 12:04 AM