CORNELIUS, N.C. — Diana Cojocari, the mother of missing Madalina Cojocari, from Cornelius, North Carolina, temporarily had her bond reduced to $100,000 amid confusion in the court system, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office told WCNC Charlotte. It was previously at $250,000.
"It was brought to our attention there was incorrect information in the system," Mike Stolp, the community liaison coordinator for the DA's office, said. " When we raised an inquiry with the Clerk’s office, within a matter of hours the displayed information was corrected to reflect the unchanged status of this inmate’s bond conditions."
It's unclear at this time who brought the error to the office's attention.
At last check, Diana Cojocari is still in jail and her bond is back up to $250,000.
Madalina Cojocari was last seen in public almost a year ago when she was getting off a school bus near the family's home in Cornelius. Madalina Cojocari's stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, got out on bond back in August, one day after a judge lowered the amount from $200,000 to $25,000.
Diana Cojocari and Christopher Palmiter were first arrested last December for failing to report Madalina's disappearance to authorities.
Diana Cojocari claimed she last saw her daughter at their home on Nov. 23, 2022, but didn't report her missing until Dec. 15, during a meeting with Bailey Middle School administrators about her daughter's chronic absences. The FBI released a video showing Madalina on a school bus on Nov. 21, 2022.
Investigators have been working to piece together what happened and how Diana Cojocari and Christopher Palmiter may have played a role in Madalina's disappearance.
The Cornelius Police Department is still encouraging the public to continue to share Madalina’s photo and her story in an effort to help find her and bring her home.
WCNC Charlotte is working to learn more about how Cojocari's bond was mistakenly reduced. The error comes as the Mecklenburg County Court is dealing with the rollout of eCourts.
Since the system first launched in North Carolina, reports of glitches led law enforcement agencies to voice their concerns about public safety. There have also been long lines at courthouses, delayed court hearings, and even allegations of civil rights violations.
Just this past Sunday in Mecklenburg County, a technical error in eCourts caused a "significant delay in completing processes at the jail," according to Judge Elizabeth Thornton Trosch.
For approximately six hours, magistrates were unable to schedule future court dates in the new digital system. Mecklenburg County is the fifth county in the state to roll out the new system, despite pushback.
It is not confirmed whether it was eCourts or a different issue that caused the error in Cojocari's bond.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.