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Jeannette woman says she was wrongly jailed for parole violation
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A Jeannette woman sued the state Board of Probation and Parole and other agencies and officials in U.S. District Court today, saying she was held in the Allegheny County Jail for seven months on a parole violation -- despite not being on parole.
Deborah Blatt, 58, who is also known as Deborah Greene in online court records, was jailed starting Jan. 8, 2011, based on violation of parole imposed for a 2004 criminal case against her, according to the complaint by attorney Michael Waltman. Court records indicate that she was sentenced to between 18 months and five years in prison in that case, in which she pleaded guilty to driving under the influence for the third time.
Ms. Blatt has since faced other charges, some of which resulted in convictions. Mr. Waltman would not address whether those charges might have played a role in her reincarceration.
"Basically, there was a miscalculation of when the maximum date on her case was. And then the parole board [jailed] her for violating parole that she was not on," he said, declining other comment.
Ms. Blatt wrote to state officials complaining that she should not be jailed, the lawsuit said. On Aug. 11, 2011, she was released, it said.
The board's spokesman declined comment.
Also named as defendants and accused of having roles in Ms. Blatt's detention are Allegheny County and several state Department of Corrections officials.
The defendants' acts violated Ms. Blatt's rights to due process and constituted cruel and unusual punishment, the complaint said. She wants compensation for lost income, medical expenses and damage to her reputation.
First Published November 28, 2012 1:34 pm
