Following a two-day jury trial in a Coos County Courtroom at Coquille, former Coquille resident 50-year old Frank Wayne Noakes was found guilty of one-count of Rape in the First Degree, three-counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, one-count of Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree and two-counts of Sodomy in the First Degree. According to a news release from Coos Co. District Attorney R. Paul Frasier, “the charges stem from allegations that first came to light in 2016 where the alleged victim was an eleven-year old person who was a member of the defendant’s household.” The case was originally prosecuted in 2017; however, “Oregon law allowed that a guilty verdict could be rendered on a jury vote of ten of more jurors voting guilty.” Noakes was found guilty. In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court moved the goal posts and ruled that criminal convictions must be based upon unanimous verdicts. The Oregon Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that holding by the U.S. Supreme Court was retroactive. “These rulings allowed Mr. Noakes to request and receive a new trial.” Sentencing is now set for Dec. 22, 8:30 a.m.
