Jury reaches guilty verdict
 
By Aaron Royster
Kingman Daily Miner
 
KINGMAN - It took the jury about 30 minutes to arrive at a guilty verdict in the David Romaine Bateman case.

Bateman, 49, of Colorado City, was charged with the Class 6 felonies of sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor.

He sat silent and motionless while the court read the jury's decision on both charges.

"I think it was a quick verdict," Bateman's attorney Bruce Griffen said. "I'm disappointed, whether it was a quick or slow verdict."

Griffen said that he felt he had made an effective argument in questioning whether the prosecuting attorney presented evidence that the victim and Bateman conceived the child in Arizona. He also said that Bateman was disappointed with the verdict.

Bateman is one of the three cases to go to trial so far in Mohave County involving men from Colorado City who are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and were indicted on sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor charges.

Two of the three have resulted in guilty verdicts; one resulted in a non-guilty verdict. Five cases, with one already started, remain for Griffen to defend.

"It could be two and two," Griffen said. "I'm not keeping score."

Sam Medrano of Bullhead City was one of the eight members of jury that convicted Bateman. He said he felt that the conviction was specifically of Bateman and not polygamy.

Nancy Wright of Kingman echoed Medrano's thoughts.

"It (the conviction) didn't deal with polygamist issue," Wright said. "Just the child molestation."

Jean Gilbert of Lake Havasu was another member of the jury who felt the prosecution had presented enough information for her to come to the guilty verdict.

"It was obvious that at some time he had sex with a 17-year-old in Arizona," Gilbert said.

Mohave County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Smith expressed his happiness with the verdict.

"It was a grueling case," Smith said. "We were fighting and arguing over everything."

Smith explained that Bateman could face a maximum of a two-year sentence, which could result in four years jail time if they run consecutively.

"Realistically, he'll serve four months to two years," Smith said. "The judge could give him probation."

Presiding Judge James E. Chavez decided Bateman had to report to the Kingman probation department following the decision. He will remain under $2,500 bond until his sentencing at 2 p.m. on Nov. 29.

The day started with Smith finishing up his case, followed by Griffen closing his case without calling any witness.

During closing statements, Smith focused on the age of the victim. He also called for the jury to use their common sense in determining if the victim lived with Bateman in Colorado City during the time the couple's child was conceived.

Smith said he planned on using the same approach for the upcoming cases in the hope of getting the same result. He explained how the cases were unlike any he had handled in the past.

"This isn't about polygamy," Smith said.

"It's about sex with young girls."

Smith added that he was faced with the task of determining guilt without having testimony from the victims. He said the prosecution needed expert testimony, along with evidence seized with search warrants to present an effective case to get guilty verdicts.

"The main message is, leave the girls alone until age 18," Smith said.

"We want that to stop."
 
KingmanDailyMiner.com
Originally published October 26, 2006
 
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