Jack Barfield IV has been out of the Claxton Detention Center since May 16 after he was bitten by a spider, according to a court order obtained from the Superior Court of Bryan County. He is due to return June 20.
The order for immediate release filed in May and signed by Superior Court Judge A. Ronnie Rahn said Barfield should be released because the court had been advised he needed to be treated for a spider bite "which necessitated surgery" and didn’t feel he was receiving proper medical attention be the state.
The initial order said he was to surrender to the Bryan County Sheriff’s Department seven days later unless otherwise ordered by the court. But an amended order was filed May 24 that said Barfield was under the treatment of a doctor in Savannah and ordered he remain out of the detention center for an additional two weeks.
On June 6, another amended order was signed by Rahn, giving Barfield an additional two weeks out of the detention center. The order indicates Barfield’s physician said it was in Barfield’s best interest to remain under a doctor’s care. The orders do not specify what kind if spider bit Barfield.
Court documents say Barfield’s time away from the detention center will not count toward completion of his sentence. Rahn presided over the March 13 trail at which Barfield was found guilty of two county of vehicular homicide in the April 25, 2005 wreck that killed Ginger Reagin and her five-year-old son Garrett, and injured James Mock, another driver. The wreck happened on Hwy. 280 just outside Pembroke.
Barfield was sentenced by Rahn on March 30 to serve a minimum of 30 months in a detention center and was given 20 years of probation.
Rahn’s first court order allowing Barfield to leave the detention center for treatment said he was to be "released to the sole custody of his father, who shall be solely responsible for him until his return to the Claxton Detention Center."The order further states Barfield has a 7 p.m. curfew and must be at his father’s residence unless receiving medical treatment.
Neither Lloyd Murray, Barfield’s attorney, nor Barfield or family members could be reached Friday.
Stephen Reagin, Garrett’s father and the ex-husband of Ginger, said Friday he didn’t have a comment on Barfield’s release because he didn’t know enough about the situation,
But Reagin said he was sorry to hear Barfield had been bitten by a spider and hopes he recovers soon.
"It’s regrettable that he’s been bitten by a spider and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone," Reagin said. "On the other hand I do hope that there’s no preferential treatment being given to him. But I hope he gets better and I hope he’s able to continue to serve out the sentence that he’s been given."