Man Facing Drug Case Flees From Courtroom

A man on probation facing drug charges bolted from a Santa Monica courtroom Friday and outraced bailiffs after he guessed that the judge planned to jail him pending trial, officials said.

Charles Dean Duhon, 31, of Santa Monica was scheduled for a hearing on an alleged probation violation stemming from single felony counts of selling cocaine and transporting cocaine for sale, said Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Wehner.

“Duhon apparently sensed that things were not working in his favor,” Wehner said. “He ran out of the courtroom before the judge could remand him to custody.”