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Talent man arraigned on rape charges By CHRIS BRISTOL A Talent man accused of raping a woman at knifepoint near the Ashland library was arraigned Tuesday in Jackson County Circuit Court. James Jeffrey Neill, 47, paused for a few seconds when Judge Patricia Crain asked him if he understood the charges. He was arrested Sunday and charged with five felonies, ranging from first-degree rape to second-degree robbery. "Yes, I do," he finally answered. Crain denied Neill's request for a court-appointed attorney, saying he had too many assets, and set bail at $1 million. She also set a preliminary hearing next week. When Neill asked her if he could enter a plea, the judge said no. He hasn't been indicted yet, and Oregon law precludes a plea until then. Neill is accused of raping a 22-year-old Ashland woman Nov. 3. Police said the attack occurred in the 100 block of Gresham Street shortly before 9:30 p.m. The victim had never met Neill before, according to Deputy District Attorney Karen Loomis. "She was walking home, and this guy starts asking her for directions," Loomis said. "She started getting nervous, and then he attacked." According to court records, Neill has a local criminal record dating back six years. He was convicted of second-degree criminal mischief in 1993, and twice for forgery in 1995. His wife obtained a restraining order against him last year, saying he had attacked and threatened her on several occasions. They had been married barely a year. In an affidavit, she said her husband was a "very bad alcoholic" who suffered from depression. She had the case dismissed a month later, after Neill completed an anger-management course. "James has stopped drinking and started some great counseling," she wrote the court. Loomis said she plans to take the case to a grand jury today. An indictment would offset the need for a hearing. The prosecutor took exception to news reports, based on police statements, that a friend and clergyman talked Neill into giving himself up Sunday. "He didn't turn himself in," she said. "He was hiding in the house when the cops arrived." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA