District Attorney: Inmate will not be prosecuted for sending daughter birthday card

Published 12:28 pm Wednesday, May 13, 2020

NATCHEZ — An Adams County woman under house arrest on a murder charge allegedly violated her parole by sending a birthday card to her daughter, according to a complaint filed last week at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

A complainant filed the report stating that Jessica Aldridge sent her daughter a birthday card. Aldridge was arrested in March 2019 and faces charges of shooting and killing her boyfriend, Joseph Cupit, 41.

Aldridge was impregnated while incarcerated at the Adams County Jail before being released April 10 with an electronic monitoring device and other restrictions.

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The court order by Adams County Circuit Judge Debra Blackwell states that as a condition of Aldridge’s release she “shall have no contact whatsoever with her children at any time, including by telephone.”

Adams County District Attorney Shameca Collins said that Aldridge would not be prosecuted for sending the birthday card.

“She didn’t do anything but write a card,” Collins said. “She could have done that from the jail and all it said was ‘Happy Birthday.’”

Aldridge was placed under house arrest after her bond had been reduced from $200,000 to $100,000 in April due to having a medical condition resulting in a high-risk pregnancy and other problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Blackwell’s court order states.