TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) — An inmate accused of breaking out of the Miller County jail has pleaded not guilty to an escape charge.
Cortez Hooper was arraigned Monday on the charge. He's accused of using a hacksaw to cut through bars on his cell window to break out of the jail on May 28. The Texarkana Gazette reports that a judge set his trial for Nov. 26.
Hooper had been in jail awaiting trial on a murder charge. He pleaded guilty earlier this month to the charge and was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Hooper and another inmate, Quincy Stewart, were arrested four days after the alleged escape. Prosecutors have also filed charges against Stewart's mother and brother, accusing them of smuggling a hacksaw into the jail.
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