Two Sierra Vista residents arrested on multiple charges related to sexual abuse of children remain in the Cochise County jail in lieu of bond as they await for their trial date, or dates, to be set.
Tianna Elizabeth Grant and Carl Stephen King were taken into custody after a 11-year-old girl reported being molested by King at the couple’s home in July. They have a speedy trial deadline of Jan. 19, 2022, although prosecutor Michael Powell of the Cochise County Attorney’s Office says it has not been determined whether he will move for a joint trial or two separate trials.
The decision on whether to conduct a joint trial may be impacted by a motion filed earlier this month by Kevin Oursland, Grant’s court-appointed attorney.
Oursland has asked Judge Laura Cardinal of the Cochise County Superior Court to approve funds for a mental health expert to conduct a competency examination of his client. Commonly referred to as a Rule 11 Motion, it seeks a determination of whether Grant understands and can participate in the court proceedings.
“The undersigned has met with Defendant on numerous occasions,” Oursland notes in his memo to the judge. “During each of those visits Defendant exhibited behaviors that caused the undersigned to be concerned about her mental state as well as her understanding of the charges against her and her ability to assist with her own defense.”
If Grant, 27, is not currently competent, the examiner must provide a medical opinion as to whether her competency can be restored in the next 18 months.
Oursland is also seeking information from the mental health examination to better understand his client’s mental condition at the time of the alleged offenses. The attorney’s memo notes that Grant was a patient of a mental health program at the time of her arrest and had been previously diagnosed with several disorders.
“The seriousness of her crimes and the apparent impairment of Defendant’s psychological state require some sort of psychological evaluation to be done prior to proceeding to trial,” Oursland noted.
In response, Powell has nominated a psychiatrist to conduct an examination on behalf of the State but is not taking a position for or against the defense motion. Cardinal’s decision on the Rule 11 motion is expected soon.
Grant remains in the Cochise County jail in lieu of a $100,000 bond. Her next hearing date is a pretrial conference on Nov. 29, although no trial date has been set.
King, 46, also remains in jail where he is being held in lieu of a $175,000 bond. His next hearing is a pretrial conference on Nov. 15. He is represented by Rodrigo Andrade, a deputy public defender.
The 10-count felony indictment issued by a Cochise County grand jury on Aug. 12 includes five counts naming Grant and King together, three counts in King’s name only, and two counts naming only Grant.
Four of the five counts in both names allege the couple involved minors in drug offenses, while the other count alleges the pair furnished “obscene or harmful items to a minor” by giving sex toys to the 11-year-old.
The three individual counts against King include two counts of sexual conduct with a minor under the age of 12 and one count of providing sex toys to a different minor. The two counts against Grant allege she solicited sexual conduct with two minors.
Each defendant faces decades in prison if convicted of all charges contained in the indictment.
The investigation into Grant and King’s activities with minors remains open, and anyone with information or questions about the case can call Sierra Vista Det. Joshua Nicola at 520-452-7500.
TO READ MORE ABOUT THE CASE: Adults Charged After Girl, 11, Molested Following Marijuana And Alcohol Fueled Party
