Clerical error allows aunt accused of abuse to bond out of jail

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Jackson County prosecutor's office filed a motion to get Michele Kraft back behind bars after a clerical error significantly reduced her bond. Kraft and her husband face child endangerment charges after their niece was found locked in a room and underfed.

Somehow, a zero got dropped in her paperwork. On Friday, Kraft was able to post ten percent of her $10,000 bond. That bond was supposed to be $100,000.

Michele Kraft showed up in court a few days ago, sitting with the crowd while her husband, Jeffrey Kraft, remained in custody for his court appearance. The two had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In the motion, the state believes the bond was recorded wrong on paperwork for the grand jury indictment on July 27. Court officials confirm they still don't know who made the mistake, but they spent time this week interviewing court employees to retrace how this happened.

Read the motion to get Kraft behind bars: http://bit.ly/OBVfcC

A tip led police to the couple's home in the 1100 block of Pacific. Police say their 8-year old niece known as only by her initials as 'G.W.' was severely malnourished, weighing 42 pounds when she was found. Court documents say she had normal growth until the Krafts received custody a few years ago. G.W., her sister and the Kraft's five month old child are now in protective custody.

This isn't the first court error involving the Kraft case. Jeffrey Kraft was supposed to be arraigned on July 26 but there was a snafu in the court system.

He was scheduled to appear. He was brought to court from jail. His family came. Journalists came to cover it. However, no public defender had been appointed to him yet, so he had no counsel present.

One public defender explained he would have to have a public defender from a separate office because he and Michele Kraft could not have counsel from the same place.

In the motion to fix the clerical error and return the bond to the original amount, Michele Kraft is asked to turn herself in or a warrant may be issued for her arrest. The Prosecutor's office says they have been communicating with her counsel to arrange her surrender.