Fond Du Lac county is fronting money to a prison guard at Taycheedah Correctional Institution to pay for an attorney to represent him. Jimmie L. Brown, 36, of Oshkosh, WI, appeared in court for an indigency hearing. He faces 13 counts of second-degree sexual assault by correctional staff for sexual encounters with five women. A sixth woman has also came forward with allegations of rape and sexual abuse. Bail is set at $50,000.
Brown is accused of having sex or sexual contact with the inmates several times between last summer and April 10, and is accused of raping one of the women, according to the complaint. Under Wisconsin statue, prison staff members are not allowed to have sexual contact with inmates.
Brown worked as a correctional officer at TCI from June 23, 2007, until April 17 when he was placed on unpaid administrative leave, said TCI Warden Cathy Jess. During a hearing Thursday, Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Judge Dale English ruled that due to Brown’s current financial situation, he qualified for a court-appointed attorney.
The county would front the money for the attorney and Brown would be required to pay the county back, O’Rourke said. Brown explained his situation to the court during the hearing, saying he is currently separated from his wife, rents an apartment, was “living paycheck to paycheck” prior to his arrest and planning to file for bankruptcy.
He told the court every attorney he contacted in the past month wanted $15,000 to $20,000 to represent him in the highly publicized case. “No one wants to touch this,” Brown said. Brown said the assets he had would not cover court costs. He said he wasn’t sure if he’d have access to money in his state retirement plan — and if the money there would be enough.
The preliminary hearing, scheduled for May 9, was pushed back to June 20, so Brown's attorney, William Mayer could prepare.
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