MONROE - Cash bond was set at $15,000 for a Monroe teen charged with sexual assault and incest who law enforcement and family members describe as having the mental capacity of a 9-year-old child.
Michael Peter Gifford, 17, appeared by video relay from the jail for his initial hearing Tuesday, Jan. 8 in Green County Circuit Court. He was arrested Sunday at his home on allegations that he repeatedly forced a teenage girl to have sex over the past six months.
His public defender, Guy Taylor, argued Gifford can't afford the cash bond and should be released from jail on a signature bond to live with a relative in Monroe or in a group home in Jefferson County, due to his cognitive disabilities.
Gifford is a "severely impaired young man" with limited resources, he said. A cash bond is intended to keep a defendant from absconding, but "there's no indication that Mr. Gifford will fail to appear in court."
Judge James Beer sided with Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Kohl's recommendation of a substantial cash bond.
Kohl cited the seriousness of the charges, plus family tensions "circling around" Gifford and against the alleged victim, as his reasoning.
A slight-built teen, Gifford appeared on a video screen in the courtroom from the nearby jail and answered only "yes" or "no" as the judge's routine questioning required.
Gifford faces felony charges of repeated sexual assault, incest, child abuse and second-degree sexual assault by use of force and a misdemeanor charge of battery. The most serious charges against him, Class C felonies, come with a penalty of up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
Deputy reports filed with the criminal complaint indicate he is in tenth grade but has "the intelligence of a 9-year-old."
A "large amount of medication" was turned over to authorities to accompany him after his arrest, one deputy noted.
Taylor would not address specifics of the case with reporters after the hearing Tuesday. His first priority, he said, was getting Gifford out of jail.
"We're going to get him out. He doesn't belong in jail," Taylor said.
In the meantime, Taylor said Lt. Paul Weichbrod at the Green County Jail has "taken strong steps" to ensure Gifford's safety.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled Friday.
Michael Peter Gifford, 17, appeared by video relay from the jail for his initial hearing Tuesday, Jan. 8 in Green County Circuit Court. He was arrested Sunday at his home on allegations that he repeatedly forced a teenage girl to have sex over the past six months.
His public defender, Guy Taylor, argued Gifford can't afford the cash bond and should be released from jail on a signature bond to live with a relative in Monroe or in a group home in Jefferson County, due to his cognitive disabilities.
Gifford is a "severely impaired young man" with limited resources, he said. A cash bond is intended to keep a defendant from absconding, but "there's no indication that Mr. Gifford will fail to appear in court."
Judge James Beer sided with Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Kohl's recommendation of a substantial cash bond.
Kohl cited the seriousness of the charges, plus family tensions "circling around" Gifford and against the alleged victim, as his reasoning.
A slight-built teen, Gifford appeared on a video screen in the courtroom from the nearby jail and answered only "yes" or "no" as the judge's routine questioning required.
Gifford faces felony charges of repeated sexual assault, incest, child abuse and second-degree sexual assault by use of force and a misdemeanor charge of battery. The most serious charges against him, Class C felonies, come with a penalty of up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
Deputy reports filed with the criminal complaint indicate he is in tenth grade but has "the intelligence of a 9-year-old."
A "large amount of medication" was turned over to authorities to accompany him after his arrest, one deputy noted.
Taylor would not address specifics of the case with reporters after the hearing Tuesday. His first priority, he said, was getting Gifford out of jail.
"We're going to get him out. He doesn't belong in jail," Taylor said.
In the meantime, Taylor said Lt. Paul Weichbrod at the Green County Jail has "taken strong steps" to ensure Gifford's safety.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled Friday.