Defendant allegedly attempting to escape courtroom taken down by deputies

A defendant in Hillsboro Municipal Court fled the courtroom Thursday, allegedly to avoid being taken into custody, but was pursued by deputies with the Highland County Sheriff's Office and taken down in an area adjacent to the Highland County Justice Center. 

Hillsboro Municipal Court Judge David McKenna told The Highland County Press that Ryan Roach, 26, of Hillsboro, was scheduled to appear for trial Wednesday on a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence. 

McKenna said that the trial had been scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., but that Roach did not appear. He said that the defendant had made calls to the court but was not present for the start of the trial.  McKenna said that the case was being tried by Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins and Assistant Highland County Prosecutor Molly Bolek. After waiting for more than an hour, the officers who had been called as witnesses were dismissed, and McKenna issued a bench warrant for $1,000 for failure to appear. 

Shortly after the warrant was issued, McKenna said, Roach appeared in the courtroom. 

"I explained to him that there was a bond for him not appearing, and he kept explaining to me why he wasn't here on time," McKenna said. "I explained that he was being taken into custody, but as long as he passed a drug screen and didn't test positive for any controlled substances that he didn't have a prescription for, that he would be released on his own recognizance. As he was being taken into custody by the sheriff's deputy, he pulled away from her as she was walking him to the door to the jail in the courtroom. He ran out the door with her in pursuit. She radioed for assistance, and he was pursued by about half a dozen other officers." 

Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward said that deputies pursued Roach and were able to take him into custody without incident shortly after he exited the building.

"We had deputies in the courtroom, as we always do when court is in session," Ward said. "One of the deputies pursued him from the courtroom (and others ran to assistance) and he ran in the general direction of Southern State (Community College). One officer had just left the Justice Center in his vehicle and observed the individual running through the field, and he knew that there was a problem. He turned into the field and got ahead of him and took him into custody."

Ward said that there were no injuries sustained in the pursuit. 

"He just decided that once the judge set bond that he didn't want any part of that," Ward said. "He didn't get very far."

Ward said that this is approximately the third person who has attempted to escape custody from the Justice Center since it opened in 2001. 

McKenna said, "We've had people bolt from the courtroom, but they never get as far as Hobart. We have a lot of people, when we tell them they have to take a drug screen, they will ask to go to the lobby for a drink of water and then they'll disappear. But those people aren't in custody. Mr. Roach had already been ordered into custody." 

When Roach was taken into custody and brought before McKenna, the judge set bond at $10,000. He remains incarcerated at the Highland County Justice Center.

The incident remains under investigation, and additional charges may be filed. 

McKenna said that Roach's trial date on the original domestic violence charge has been rescheduled for Jan. 12. 

Should charges result from the escape incident McKenna said that he would have to recuse himself from the case, as he would be a witness. 

Roach does not currently have an attorney of record. McKenna said that when he was initially arraigned in October, Roach told the court that he would hire an attorney. He had not hired one for trial, and has not submitted paperwork to have a court-appointed attorney.