Jury finds man not guilty of rape, guilty of four other violent crimes

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A Brown County man was found not guilty of rape but was convicted of several other charges by a jury March 30.

Rickey D. Haines, 39, still faces up to 36 years in prison after being convicted of criminal confinement, strangulation, domestic battery in the presence of minors and possession of a firearm by a domestic batterer.

In addition, Judge Judith Stewart sided with the prosecution’s argument that Haines is a habitual offender — adding an optional “sentence enhancement” of six to 20 years for having three prior, unrelated felonies on his record.

He will be sentenced at 3 p.m. Monday, April 24.

“I am proud of our office and the hard work that my staff put into the case,” Brown County Prosecutor Ted Adams said in a news release. “The Brown County Sheriff’s Office conducted an excellent investigation which led to a conviction on this matter. I am pleased that the victim also had her day in court to tell her story.”

Haines’ attorneys, Courtney Jones and John Boren of Martinsville, argued that what happened between their client and his accuser was not rape. Jones described the relationship between Haines and the victim as “bizarre” and that the events of Dec. 8, 2015, were a normal occurrence.

The defense also sought to prevent the prosecution and witnesses from using “victim” to refer to her in court. Stewart denied their motion.

The woman told police that Haines sexually assaulted her in a bathroom and bedroom at his home, attempted to drown her in the bathtub, beat her within earshot of two children and held her against her will at the home until the next morning when she called police.

Haines still has an unresolved domestic battery case involving the same woman. He was out on bond in that case when the alleged attacks occurred. The woman also had a protective order against him at the time.

Adams argued that Haines was angry that night because he wanted to search the woman’s cellphone, but she refused. Adams said Haines used intimidation tactics against the woman to keep her in his home, including threatening her with a shotgun.

The jury of eight men and four women took four hours to deliberate after hearing three days of testimony.

Adams said Haines plans to appeal his conviction.

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