Plea conference for former guard delayed

CLOVIS — A plea conference last week for the former jail guard charged with assisting the escape last summer of three inmates has been delayed.

The case was pushed to later this month due to a scheduling issue with her defense attorney.

Sarina Dodson, 28, of Clovis, had “decided to plea to the charges,” according to a notice of intent filed last month. Her plea conference Thursday was continued to Jan. 22 after her counsel, Francis J. Rio, stated in a motion that he would be unavailable due to a previously scheduled training.

Dodson was charged with three third-degree felony counts of assisting escape in connection with the short-lived June 15 flight of a trio of male inmates. The inmates were recaptured and are pending adjudication on new charges.