Deazia Franklin
A Pleasantville woman accused of trying to run down her ex-boyfriend and his sister with her car was released from jail last week, after the state did not move to detain her.
Deazia Franklin, 23, already had four pending disorderly persons charges against her in relation to an alleged assault and damage to property regarding the former boyfriend.
She now faces charges of third-degree aggravated assault and a disorderly persons charge of assault by auto in the latest incident.
The two were sitting inside the victim’s vehicle around midnight Tuesday, when their hourlong conversation turned into a heated argument, the man told police, according to the affidavit of probable cause obtained by BreakingAC.
Franklin refused to get out of the car, with a physical altercation outside the vehicle after the victim tried to remove her, he said.
The victim then drove home to his Somers Point residence with Franklin following in her vehicle, the affidavit states.
When Franklin got to the home, the victim and his sister were outside, he told police.
“Franklin then attempted to hit (the victim) and his sister with her vehicle multiple times, driving up on the sidewalk, but was unable,” the affidavit states.
When she then tried to hit the victim’s vehicle, he stood in front of it trying to stop her, but Franklin instead “drove towards him, hitting his legs,” according to the report.
The victim had abrasions to his right leg and left knee.
She then reversed off of the victim, and fled to her Pleasantville home, where the victim followed and called police, the affidavit states.
Franklin was on the verge of having her previous incidents with the victim all wrapped up with an appearance in Somers Point Municipal Court, her attorney, James Leonard Jr., explained to the judge during her initial hearing Thursday.
Under bail reform, any jailed inmate has an appearance through CJP court, which stands for central judicial processing. At that time, the defendant learns whether they will be released with conditions or remain jailed pending a detention hearing.
“This is a very unique circumstance, where in the PSA (public safety assessment) has recommended no release, but despite that, the (Atlantic County) Prosecutor’s Office has not filed a motion to detain Miss Franklin,” Judge Timothy Maguire said.
The PSA is used to help determine whether a defendant should be released or detained pretrial.
In this case, the recommendation to hold Franklin was due to “repeated arrests while on pretrial release,” Assistant Prosecutor Nicole Campellone explained. “But it appears Ms. Franklin has never been afforded any kind of pretrial release.”
Leonard said his client has a strong support system with Jewish Family Services, and that she is preparing to graduate with her masters in May.
“I’m currently going to Stockton University’s Atlantic City campus,” she told the judge. “I’m supposed to be getting my master’s degree in social work.”
Maguire, who seemed hesitant to release Franklin, told her there were a few reasons he was allowing the release. His list included that a detention motion was not filed, and that the victim was the same person in all of the pending cases.
He also noted that the purpose of bail reform “is to make sure conditions are imposed that keeps a defendant law abiding if they are released. The purpose isn’t to punish or hold someone in jail at these proceedings. That is something to be worked out in the future by another court.”
He ordered her to also have an anger management assessment and follow any recommendations given.
“(The victim) is like poison to you,” he told her. “Nothing good can happen with you interacting with (the victim) or his family. What can happen that is bad is that you can be brought back to jail.”
