Two Things: Plenty of heartache to go around in Corbett release screw-up; sleep tight while road work goes on (2024)

Tuesday. 19 shopping days left … a bigger question: How many shipping days remain?

Not that many outside the families involved in state v. Thomas Martens and Molly Martens Corbett will care— the father and daughter voluntarily entered pleas to literally beating a man’s brains out— but somebody at the N.C. Department of Correction caused a lot of heartache Monday for a lot of people in two countries.

Officially, DOC types attributed a colossal foul-up that had Corbett and Martens being released from custody this week to … bad information listed on its Website.

Um. What?

Corbett and Martens, in case you’ve been living under a rock that lacks Wifi, were sentenced last month to between 51 and 74 months in connection with the 2015 killing of Irish businessman Jason Corbett.

That’s about right for a conviction of involuntary manslaughter for people with no criminal histories.

In practical effect, the sentences imposed Nov. 8 by Judge David Hall meant that Corbett and Martens would serve an additional six months — a hockey season — on top of the 44 months they’d done in state prison.

But Monday, though, all hell broke loose inside the Davidson County Jail as word circulated that they’d be released much sooner than anyone thought.

A DOC site — a public portal referred to as an “offender lookup”— listed Thomas Martens #1553797 release date Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 and Molly Martens Corbett #1551729 release date Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023.

“As you probably know, the correctional system only carries out sentences as determined by the courts,” a DOC communications officer wrote in an email. “With time served locally and in state prison, they will have completed their sentences on those days.”

Chaos of sorts ensued.

Corbett and Martens had been moved to the Davidson County lockup from state prisons. Their lawyers told them— and their family including matriarch Sharon Martens— what had happened.

Prosecutors, too, were informed that a father and daughter sentenced to prison twice in a case that commanded international attention were about to walk free.

“I was surprised it was this soon but it is totally the decision of (the North Carolina Department of Correction) based on the sentence imposed by Judge David Hall,” said District Attorney Garry Frank. “After his sentence I had no input.”

The pair’s first sentences of between 20-25 years were given at the end of their first trial in 2017 after a jury convicted them of second-degree murder.

A second sentencing hearing, which came after a deal was struck for pleas to the involuntary manslaughter charge, was necessary because state appellate courts ruled that serious errors had been made in the first trial.)

“We respect the judgment of the court and the (sentencing) calculations by DOC,” said attorney Jones Byrd, who represents Thomas Martens. “Our client will look forward to being with his family as soon as he is able.”

Nearly as soon as the news hit the Internet, overseas calls placed from Ireland began burning up phone lines into the Davidson County district attorney’s office.

Never shy about voicing its collective opinion about the American justice system— at one point Jason Corbett’s family tried dragging in the U.S. State Department - relatives began chewing on Frank. Who had no say in any decision about early release.

Tracey Corbett Lynch, Jason Corbett’s sister, told Irish media it was “an insult” to her brother and their family.

A statement released by an online support group called Jason’s Journey further spelled out raw feelings.

“We were left completely in the dark by all North Carolina justice agencies in whom we had put our faith and trust in for the past eight years,” the statement reads.

Corbett Lynch said her family “cannot disagree with people” who called it a mockery.

The flip side, of course, is that a second family suffered the same roller coaster of emotions.

Sharon Martens had been treated for cancer and suffered serious health challenges in recent years.

Imagine how she felt after learning that her husband and daughter’s impending release was a mistake officially attributable to a website? On top of the fact that Martens and Molly Corbett had made a more than credible claim that they’d acted in self-defense?

And while knowing that her daughter had been deemed enough of a risk of self-harm that officials had placed her on suicide watch several times while in custody?

Without question, calculating time served for inmates is more difficult than it sounds. Days in the county jail and state prison count, of course. Credit is given to inmates who work behind bars, enroll in (and complete) life-skills classes and don’t cause trouble by starting fights or making illicit toilet wine.

The screw-up essentially means that the first projections offered after last month’s sentencing hearing— that Martens and Molly Corbett would have to serve an additional six months— were correct. One would think.

Human error happens. But ascribing blame to a computer sure seems like a cop out.

Interstate 40 lane closures

GREENSBORO— Not that it’ll matter much to anyone who keeps old-people hours, but the N.C. Department of Transportation is scheduled to close lanes of Interstate 40 several times this week.

(Show of hands: Who else starts looking to hit the rack at 8:30 p.m.? Thought so.)

A single lane of I-40 westbound near mile marker 219 will close tonight and Thursday from 9 p.m. through about 2 a.m.

The reverse— closing a single lane eastbound about the same spot on I-40- is scheduled Wednesday and Thursday from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The lane closures, which honestly should only be trouble for long-hauler truckers and insomniacs, are necessary to trim tree branches.

Here’s hoping the DOT is paying overtime to crews getting dragged out in the dead of night. It’s the least it could do.