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Alleged sex offender refuses to submit to polygraph By JONEL ALECCIA It will be March before a former Community Works youth shelter supervisor faces a criminal trial on sex charges, but in the interim, legal controversy has erupted over the terms of his release. Court records indicate Wayne Randall Gatrel, 43, of Medford, is now scheduled for trial March 19 on 14 charges - including a dozen sex crimes - in connection with alleged abuse at the Youth Diagnostic Shelter in Talent. In the meantime, his attorney, Larry Parker of Medford, has filed a legal request that would remove a requirement that Gatrel submit to monthly polygraph tests to ensure compliance with release agreements. District attorneys in Jackson and Josephine County have opposed the motion, contending that it would have an effect far beyond Gatrel's case. In a hearing set for today in Jackson County, they'll argue that the motion would remove legal tools that keep accused offenders like Gatrel in line before trial. "We're not saying they're guilty," Josephine County Deputy District Attorney Mike Newman said Monday. "We're saying we don't know if they're guilty or not." Gatrel was released last month after posting $30,000 cash - 10 percent of his $300,000 bail. Terms of his release require that Gatrel check in weekly with the court, that he have no contact with the alleged victims, no contact with minors, and ingest no intoxicants - and that he submit to monthly polygraph exams to guarantee it all. But Parker filed a motion arguing that monthly polygraphs are unconstitutional, that they violate Gatrel's guaranteed right not to incriminate himself. In addition, Parker contended that the polygraph exams aren't required to ensure that Gatrel show up in court, records show. "Ridiculous," retorted Richard Vasconi, pre-trial supervisor for Jackson County. Of the 120 cases he handles a month, about half are offenders released before trial. Polygraph exams are an important tool to ensure they comply with agreements while they wait, he said. "I really believe the polygraph keeps them honest," he said. "It's like parking an empty police car on the side of the highway. It makes everyone slow down." The polygraph exam alone doesn't constitute self-incrimination because supervisors don't use the results as evidence in court or to revoke release, Vasconi said. If a defendant fails an exam, he or she is questioned further to determine the cause. Sometimes, defendants admit then that they violated terms of their release and they're returned to jail. But it's because of the confession, not the exam, Vasconi said. The polygraph issue is only the latest twist in the case involving two shelter supervisors accused of sexually displaying and abusing eight teens. Desiree Joy Seiver, 22, of Central Point, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to three felony charges of third-degree rape, a felony racketeering charge and four misdemeanor charges. A previous trial for Gatrel in September was postponed when last-minute testimony from alleged victims offered conflicting accounts of events. The inconsistencies were recorded by Jackson County District Attorney Mark Huddleston, who was forced to remove himself as lead prosecutor in the case. The case was turned over to the Josephine County District Attorney's office and to Newman, who has spent the past month briefing himself on the issues. The March trial date was the first available slot on the court calendar, Newman said. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.