(Phoenix, Ariz. – April 11, 2006) A Glendale man was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to attempting to escape from an adult correctional facility. Marquis D. Barry, 39, had been in custody with Maricopa County when he walked away from a work release program in 2001. He was taken back into custody earlier this year and entered into a plea agreement last month.
Barry had been ordered by the Maricopa County Superior Court to pay $10,000 in child support. After failing to pay, he was found in contempt of court and taken into custody indefinitely until he paid the money. In addition to the jail sentence, Barry was ordered to serve three years’ probation, pay a fine of $1,000 and perform 40 hours of community service.
Barry's conviction was the result of ongoing efforts by the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Economic Security to investigate and prosecute individuals who fail to honor their child support obligations. Barry is still obligated to continue his child support payments. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Gordon handed down the sentence Tuesday.