CANYON CITY — A retrial will be held in the case of a man serving a prison sentence after being convicted of multiple sex crimes in Grant County in 2006, after a change in the law opened the possibility of an early release.

Robert Joiner, of Long Creek, was convicted of five counts of first-degree sodomy, one count of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse. The victims in the case were two young girls who were known to Joiner.

Joiner was sentenced on Sept. 26, 2006, and was incarcerated at Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla. Last month, he was transferred to the Grant County Jail to await retrial or resentencing.

Some of Joiner’s convictions were the result of nonunanimous jury verdicts, which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in 2020. Because of this and an Oregon Supreme Court case in 2022 regarding the retroactivity of such verdicts, Joiner could now get out of prison before his originally scheduled release date of 2033 unless the case is reheard, officials said.

Long Creek resident Carmen Vaughan is the mother of the victims. She and her daughters have been seeking a retrial since learning Joiner might be released in 2027 instead of 2033. Vaughan said the family was “horrified” and felt revictimized by the possibility of Joiner getting out earlier than expected.

The Oregon Department of Justice Criminal Justice Division has appointed Katherine Green, a senior assistant attorney general, to act as special prosecutor in the case, said Grant County District Attorney Jim Carpenter.

Carpenter previously said that while he believes Joiner is undoubtedly guilty of the crimes he’s been convicted for, he did not intend to take up the case as a prosecutor because the original evidence has been lost or disposed of.

Carpenter had asked the Oregon DOJ to review the case and consider appointing a special prosecutor.

“These cases require an extraordinary amount of resources that are generally not available at the local level,” Carpenter said. “I appreciate the DOJ Criminal Justice Division for stepping in at my request to take up this matter. I am confident that they, through their efforts, will obtain justice in this matter.”

Carpenter said he has appointed Green as a special deputy district attorney for Grant County and has given her full authority “to move forward with the case as she deems appropriate.” Green has decided to retry Joiner on five counts, Carpenter said.

Vaughan said she and her daughters were able to speak with Green Nov. 17, prior to a Nov. 20 status hearing in Grant County Circuit Court where Green stated the state’s intention to retry Joiner on the nonunanimous counts.

During the status hearing, which Vaughan attended via video call, Vaughan said she felt “strong, triumphant and proud of my daughters” now that the state Department of Justice has agreed to proceed with a retrial.

The next status hearing in the case is set for Tuesday, Dec. 5, when the court is expected to set dates for discovery, trial and any preliminary hearings, Carpenter said.