A Willcox man charged with sexually assaulting and terrorizing a woman he lived with at the end of April may get out of jail pending trial, but he must first post bail in the amount of $250,000, Cochise County’s presiding judge ruled Thursday.
Judge Timothy Dickerson found there is probable cause to believe several crimes were committed against the woman on April 29 and that Romaine Alfred Quinn Sr. committed the offenses. The judge did not, however, find that prosecutor Michael Powell presented sufficient evidence to continue a no-bond order issued by a justice of peace when Quinn was arrested May 2.
In Arizona, there is a presumption in most cases that a defendant is eligible for release pending trial unless the county attorney provides sufficient details to keep a no-bond order in effect.
Even if Quinn finds an Arizona bail-bond company willing to take his case -which requires a 10 percent non-refundable premium- court officials in Barron County, Wisconsin could weigh in on release, as Quinn appears to have violated the terms of parole he is serving in Cochise County for raping a 13-year-old girl in Wisconsin several years ago.
A Google search of Quinn reveals he pleaded guilty in 2010 to federal charges of defrauding investors. But before he was formally sentenced to the U.S. Bureau of Prison, Quinn was charged in Wisconsin state court with multiple counts of child rape.
Quinn then absconded for several months, eventually being taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in northern Arizona in January 2013. He completed his federal prison term in October 2014 and then entered guilty pleas in the pending child rape case.
Wisconsin media reports show Quinn was released from prison last year after serving a five-year sentence in the rape case. He later moved to the Willcox area where he is required per a Wisconsin court order to register as a sex offender until 2040.
During Thursday’s hearing, Powell solicited testimony from a Willcox police detective about the fact Quinn’s criminal history includes information about his flight risk. But specific details were never presented to Dickerson during the nearly two-hour bail eligibility hearing which doubled as a preliminary hearing to establish probable cause for the new charges.
Public records show Quinn was ordered to abstain from using alcohol upon his release in the child rape case. He also has several other court-ordered restrictions, which could allow a Wisconsin judge to order a writ for Quinn’s return to Wisconsin to address his parole status.
Or Wisconsin officials can wait to see what occurs during Quinn’s expected late 2021 trial date in the new case in Cochise County.
The woman who lived with Quinn testified in detail about what she said was hours of constant terror inside the home starting on the evening of April 29 after she and Quinn spent several hours. She admitted having opportunities to run from the house or call for help before doing so two days later, but she testified to being worried about further violence if she was present when police tried to arrest Quinn.
She testified that her first opportunity to be alone in the house came May 1 when Quinn went to a store. The woman called 911 and fled the house, hiding behind bushes about one block away, where in an odd coincidence a Willcox detective was driving home in a marked patrol car at the same time.
Two Willcox officers testified the woman had non-life threatening injuries, including contusions, abrasions, a deep bite mark to a finger, and a chipped tooth. They also testified she appeared weak and traumatized, and that she expressed fear of what would happen if Quinn returned home to find her with police. The officers placed the woman in a patrol car and took her to Northern Cochise Community Hospital before Quinn came home.
A subsequent search of the home led officers to a burning firepit where blackened fabric and two metal wires were found. According to Willcox Ofc. Sergio Pacheco, the wires were like those found in a woman’s underwire bra, and the type the woman said she had on before the assault.
It was also revealed during Thursday’s hearing that Quinn’s local probation officer handling the Wisconsin parole came to the house May 1 as part of a routine check. The woman said she was forced into a bedroom and did not call for help because she feared what Quinn would do if the probation officer was not able to control Quinn.
The police and crime scene reports are not yet available as Quinn was just arrested a few days ago. However, his court-appointed attorney gave a possible glimpse of what Quinn’s trial defense will be.
Legal Advocate Sochi Orozco solicited testimony from the woman about the fact she drank alcohol despite taking prescription medication that alerts users to abstain from drinking. The woman also confirmed under questioning to a history of blacking out and not recalling what happened.
In addition, the woman told Dickerson that after being beaten and gagged she eventually consented to have sex with Quinn in order to stop his abuse, which she testified include threats to cut and disfigure her. At one point Quinn’s defense attorney suggested the couple had simply engaged in “rough sex” that included tying the woman to the bed.
Powell pointed out that under Arizona law consent cannot be granted when a victim is coerced by the immediate use or threatened use of force against a person or property, or if a defendant should have reasonably known a victim is incapable of consent “by reason of mental disorder, mental defect, drugs, alcohol, sleep or any other similar impairment of cognition.”
Quinn was brought into Dickerson’s court with his hands shackled to his waist. The judge ordered jail detention staff to uncuff Quinn’s writing hand during part of the hearing so he could make notes for his attorney.
Dickerson set Quinn’s next court date as a May 17 formal arraignment on the four felonies currently filed in the case. An extradition hearing could be held before then if Wisconsin officials want a say in Quinn’s release.