A former Bisbee woman who went to prison for failing to protect her children from years of horrific abuse at the hands of their father has been denied her request to end probation more than one year early.
Leizza Alcantara Adams appeared by phone June 19 for a hearing in Cochise County Superior Court at which her attorney Perry Hicks argued his client has done “very well” on probation, which is set to run through October 2024. Hicks noted that defendants are often approved by the court to terminate probation early due to good conduct.
Adams was convicted in 2018 of two felony counts of child abuse for doing nothing to end the physical and sexual abuse of several of her children. She began probation in October 2020 after serving 2.5 years in prison and has been living out of state since her release from Arizona Department of Corrections.
Hicks told Lindstrom that there were mitigating circumstances involved in Leizza Adams’ case, particularly that she too was a well-documented victim of abuse at the hands of her husband, Paul Adams, until his arrest in 2016. At least one of the victims was being abused as far back as 2010.
Paul Adams admitted abusing his children and often recording his criminal acts which he then uploaded to the internet. He killed himself in a federal detention center in December 2017 while awaiting trial.
Among those opposing the early termination of probation was Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre, who argued that Leizza Adams had already been shown leniency when sentenced.
McIntyre acknowledged that he has supported an early end to probation in many cases. However, the facts of Leizza Adams’ case did not warrant such approval, he argued to Judge Jason Lindstrom.
Attorney Lynne Cadigan is victim representative for three of the three of the Adams children, who have lawsuits ongoing against their mother, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and various church members in Arizona.
Cadigan also argued at the hearing against early termination, citing the lawsuits as one reason. However, she informed Lindstrom that law enforcement records show at least 350 people across the world have been prosecuted for looking at or sharing myriad videos which Paul Adams posted of the sexual abuse of his children.
It would be inappropriate, Cadigan argued, to allow Leizza Adams to serve less time for her criminal conduct than the oldest child spent suffering in the family home.
Lindstrom made his ruling from the bench, explaining in less than one minute that he did not find it appropriate “under the circumstances” to grant the petition.
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