Two Jurors Dismissed In Sex Trial Of Pentecostal Preacher And Wife

Two jurors were dismissed Monday in the child-rape and molestation trial of a Pentecostal preacher and his wife, one for unexplained reasons and the other because of illness.

Only two alternate jurors remained after the fourth day of testimony in the trial of Robert “Roby” Roberson and his wife, Connie.

The Robersons and 26 other adults have been charged since last fall with participating in what authorities describe as two loosely organized sex rings in operation since 1988.

Five of the cases have resulted in convictions and 12 defendants have pleaded guilty, the latest on Monday.

Douglas County Superior Court Judge T.W. “Chip” Small told the remaining Waterville jurors to stay healthy and drive carefully on the foggy, snow-covered roads.

“Go home, drink lots of orange juice and get plenty of sleep,” Small told jurors. “You’ve all been exposed to juror No. 10, and that has us concerned. We can’t afford to lose another one of you.”

Juror No. 10, an East Wenatchee man who works for the state Department of Transportation, was excused shortly after the lunch break when he complained of chills and not being able to pay attention to the cross-examination of the doctor who examined two of the alleged victims.

Small refused to explain why the other juror - a retired teacher from Waterville - was dismissed.

Dr. Mark Shipman, an emergency room physician at Central Washington Hospital, was on the stand all day, testifying on how he determined that two young girls had been sexually abused.

Four of the 10 counts against Roby Roberson and two of the seven counts against Connie Roberson list the two girls, ages 13 and 11, as victims.

Shipman said both girls showed signs of vaginal penetration, and pointed to slides to show damage to the girls’ hymens.

Defense lawyer Robert Van Siclen spent three hours cross-examining Shipman, including going over all his slides a second time. Most of Shipman’s findings on the two girls showed no abnormalities.

Both the Robersons deny the accusations. They

contend the charges were filed in retaliation for their criticism of authorities’ motives and methods in the larger sex-ring investigation.

Meanwhile, in Wenatchee, a woman pleaded guilty to incest as jury selection was about to begin for her trial. Barbara Garass, 38, of Wenatchee pleaded guilty to one charge each of first-degree and second-degree incest involving two boys, ages 11 and 14. She faces up to two years and 10 months in prison when she is sentenced Jan. 17.

She originally was charged with one count each of first- and second-degree rape of a child and first and second-degree child molestation involving three children. She would have faced up to 23 years in prison if convicted on those charges.

Garass’ common-law husband, Ralph Gausvik, was convicted Nov. 2 of three counts of first-degree child rape and one count of first-degree child molestation.