Wenatchee Couple Denied Bail In Child-Abuse Case

Sun., March 22, 1998

Associated Press

A judge has denied bail for a Wenatchee couple, ruling that they must wait for the state Supreme Court to rule on an appellate court reversal of their child-rape convictions.

Visiting Okanogan County Superior Court Judge Jack Burchard on Friday denied the request by Mark and Carol Doggett, who were convicted in April 1995 on charges of first-degree child rape and complicity to commit first-degree child molestation. They were sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison.

The Doggetts were not among the 28 Wenatchee-area people accused of sexually abusing children in the so-called Wenatchee child sex ring cases. However, like many of those accused in the sex rings, the Doggetts complained their children were bullied into making abuse allegations by Wenatchee police Detective Bob Perez.

In December, the state Court of Appeals overturned their convictions, saying they were wrongly refused funds to hire an expert to testify about false-memory syndrome. Chelan County Deputy Prosecutor Roy Fore appealed that ruling to the state Supreme Court.

On Friday, Burchard ruled that the Doggetts’ appeal is still pending until the high court either hears Fore’s appeal or refuses it. Until then, the Doggetts are not eligible for bail, Burchard held.

Fore said it could take four to five more months before the Supreme Court acts on his appeal.

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