A Joshua Tree man was mistakenly released from jail Thursday. An arrest warrant had been issued for Paul Maki, 40, for multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamine, theft, and failure to appear for his court date. Maki was arrested on the warrant about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 5, and was being held in the Morongo Basin Jail pending his court date. Due to a clerical error, Maki was given a new court date of Friday, December 8, and released from custody just before 8 p.m. Thursday, December 7. When the error was recognized later that same night, Sheriff’s deputies began searching for Maki. On Friday, December 8, Maki arrived at the county’s Morongo Basin courthouse for his scheduled court date, at which time he taken into custody without incident and booked back into the Morongo Basin Jail.
