He's supposed to be the one ensuring prisoners stay behind bars but tonight a prison officer narrowly avoided becoming a prisoner himself. At about 7 last night, prison officer Jerome Bowden was going unto duty, and he entered the compound carrying a knapsack. Prison authorities may have suspected him, and when they searched the bag, they found 120 grams of cannabis.
Bowden appeared before Magistrate Robert Ordonez where he was formally charged with drug trafficking in connection. The prosecution objected to bail but Bowden's attorney Lionel Welch was able to give good reason why he should be granted bail. The Magistrate then offered him bail of $10,000 and the case was adjourned until June 14th. But he couldn't raise the bail and were it not for the last minute intervention of a bail bondsman, Bowden would have gotten remanded.
