Benton County Inmate's Journey Ends At State Hospital

BENTONVILLE -- Steven Robinson was supposed to be in the Benton County Jail on a $5,000 bond, but he ended up getting arrested twice in Fort Smith and later committed to Arkansas State Hospital in Little Rock.

Robinson, 33, of Bentonville was scheduled for arraignment Monday, but he wasn't taken to court with other inmates.

Circuit Judge Robin Green presided over a hearing Thursday to learn how Robinson ended up at the State Hospital when he was supposed to be in the county jail after his latest arrest.

Robinson was arrested Nov. 6 in connection with terroristic threatening, a Class D felony. He is accused of threatening Rogers police officers and Walmart employees.

Robinson pleaded guilty in October in another terroristic threatening case. He was placed on four years of state-supervised probation. He was arrested in July after he threatened to shoot Bentonville police officers, according to court documents.

Nathan Atchison, a major with the Sheriff's Office, said Thursday that Robinson had been arrested several times this year. There was an attempt to have him involuntarily committed in July, but a judge denied the request.

Jail staff, who were concerned about Robinson's welfare, believed he was a danger to himself, other inmates and deputies, Atchison said.

Atchison said the Sheriff's Office called the Governor's Office seeking assistance with Robinson. A doctor was recommended and he saw Robinson in the jail.

Robinson was then taken, on the doctor's recommendation, by a deputy to the Behavioral Health Unit at Northwest Medical Center-Springdale on Nov. 20, Atchison said.

Sheriff's Office officials believed the jail would be contacted when Robinson was released, Atchison said.

But the jail wasn't notified when Robinson was released four days later, Atchison said.

Patricia Driscoll, a spokeswoman for Northwest Health, declined to comment on the case.

Robinson later was arrested in Fort Smith where he was released from custody on a citation. He was arrested a second time there for terroristic threatening.

Robinson was sent to the State Hospital, where he's now a patient, after he was involuntarily committed through the court in Sebastian County, Atchison said.

Atchison said the jail didn't have a court order to take Robinson to the Springdale facility.

"It's very disturbing to the court," Green said of the lack of a court order.

Atchison told Green no one at the jail tried to circumvent the legal process. Their only concern was to get help for a mentally ill person in the jail.

Robinson's behavior began to escalate while he was in jail, Atchison said.

"He was playing with feces," Atchison said. "He was covering walls with feces."

Green said she believes jail staff acted out of goodness and tried to get help for Robinson, but "There should have been a commitment hearing so he (Robinson) could have an attorney," Green said.

People who are being involuntarily committed are entitled to have an attorney.

"This case is an example of the lack of mental health care in the state of Arkansas for all individuals, including those that are accused of a crime," said Jay Saxton, Benton County chief public defender. Saxton's office represents Robinson.

Green also was concerned Robinson is accused of threatening someone's life, but that person or persons weren't notified Robinson no longer was in jail.

"Was the victim notified?" Green asked Atchison.

"No ma'am," Atchison said.

Bryan Sexton, deputy prosecutor, told Green another circuit judge denied a request in July to involuntarily commit Robinson. The Prosecutor's Office again was approached about trying to involuntarily commit Robinson, but the same circumstances existed, Sexton said.

The Prosecutor's Office and Sheriff's Office will work together to ensure something like this doesn't happen again, Sexton said.

The Sheriff's Office has placed a hold on Robinson so he'll be returned to the county jail when he is released from the State Hospital, Atchison said.

"This is a huge learning lesson for the Sheriff's Office," Green said.

NW News on 12/20/2014

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