Despite their pleas for mercy in the form of probation, a married couple will spend Friday night separated in Cochise County jail cells after being sentenced to three years in prison for multiple counts of felony child abuse.
Brian and Monica Campbell must serve at least 85 percent of their sentence before being eligible for release, according to Judge Timothy Dickerson. The couple pleaded guilty in December to committing four acts of abuse between 2016 and 2018 against four children adopted by the couple several years ago.
As part of a plea deal, the Campbells could have been placed on probation, sentenced to jail for no more than one year, or sent to prison for no more than three years.
In sentencing each parent to the maximum three years in prison, Dickerson said he found several aggravating factors, including the fact the Campbells “were able to fully appreciate the wrongfulness of their acts” and that some of the children came to believe they could not get help because of where their parents worked.
Most of the arguments put forth by defense attorneys George Damon and Michael Stories prior to sentencing focused on persuading Dickerson to grant the Campbells probation. The attorneys asked the judge to ignore the other felonies the pair were initially charged with and to disregard what Storie called an “avalanche” of recent allegations by the victims of other old acts of abuse.
Brian Campbell addressed the judge, expressing remorse for his actions toward the victims. Monica Campbell also spoke, telling Dickerson “I pray every day to Jesus that he will give my children peace.” Both defendants also submitted formal sentencing memos to the judge.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Michael Powell pointed out Monica Campbell’s job involved sending deputies to other people’s homes in response to 911 calls about abuse, and that Brian Campbell’s job involved identifying abuse and even removing children from homes if necessary.
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