Drunken man tries to break into jail

A jailbreak usually involves someone trying to bust out of jail, but Medford police arrested a man trying to break into the Jackson County Jail early Monday morning, Medford police Lt. Bob Hansen said.

At 4:10 a.m., sheriff's deputies at the jail spotted a man scrambling over a tall fence that surrounds a secure lot where arresting officers unload potential prisoners and escort them inside. Jail officials met the man on the ground and contacted Medford police.

The man, James Merrill DeVore, 28, told police that he was distraught over the death of his mother two years ago and admitted that he had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. He told officers that he needed help, so he went to the jail to ask for assistance. When he didn't get an answer at the front entrance, he decided to go around to the back.

Medford police charged him with disorderly conduct and trespassing.

But even the two criminal charges didn't land DeVore in jail. He was taken to the county's sobering center, referred to the county's mental health program and cited to appear in court later.