By Ray King
The administrators of the Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center and the W.C. “Dub” Brassell Adult Detention Center have been ordered to appear in court May 28 for a hearing to show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court for failing to abide by the orders of the court.
Circuit Judge Rob Wyatt issued the orders to Chief Deputy Jimmy “Bo” Hudson, administrator of the adult jail and Chief Deputy Santrice Kearney, administrator of the juvenile detention center on Tuesday.
Wyatt’s orders were based on information that a juvenile, Imari Holliman, now 17, who was charged with first-degree battery in 2023, had been released from the Juvenile Detention Center without posting any bond and without orders from the court for him to be released.
Sheriff Lafayette Woods said Thursday that he was told by his staff that there had been an order releasing Holliman from the juvenile detention center but there was apparently another order transferring the case to circuit court that was not in Holliman’s file at the juvenile center and the juvenile center staff was not aware of that order when Holliman was released.
Woods also said that at the time Holiman was released, Santrice Kearney was not the administrator of the juvenile detention center.
A $100,000 bond had been set for Holliman in a bench warrant signed by Circuit Judge Alex Guynn and that warrant was served on Holliman at the juvenile detention center on May 31, 2023.
The order goes on to say that Holliman is represented by Attorney Efrem Neely Sr., who has obtained orders from the court for Holliman to undergo evaluations at the Arkansas State Hospital.
On April 24, 2025, prosecutors filed a motion with the court asking that Holliman had been scheduled for those evaluations first in Oct. 11, 2024 and then Jan. 31, 2025 but as of Feb. 7, 2025, Holliman had not been located and his whereabouts were unknown.
A hearing that had been scheduled for April 30 on transferring the case to juvenile court was continued indefinitely until those evaluations are completed.
Also on April 30, Wyatt issued a pickup order for Holliman and to set aside any bond that had been set for him and he is to be taken to the detention center where he is to be held without bond pending further orders of the court.
Holliman will be 18 on Sept. 15.
