Stillwater's 'Taboo Goddess' May Get Another Day in Court

Accused Stillwater dominatrix Kristal Ann Taylor could get an opportunity to have her case heard again, but this time, with legal representation. 

Taylor, whose last name was erroneously entered as "Zimmerman" in the criminal complaint and court documents, went into the case representing herself after being arrested in June for owning or operating a disorderly house, a gross-misdemeanor offense.

Taylor appeared in Thursday afternoon when her attorney, Joseph P. Tamburino argued that she still had a right to legal representation under the protection of the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  

"Ms. Taylor has never asked for a continuance in this case; she has not dragged her feet," Tamburino told Judge Susan Miles. "She represented herself until she realized she could no longer do so and then ."

Prosecuting attorney John Magnuson argued a less-noble justification for why Taylor sought representation.

"The State is going to argue that Ms. Taylor didn't like the result the last time she was in court and wants a do-over," Magnuson said. "I'm very concerned about the precedent set if she represents herself all the way through and then the day before trial she wants a lawyer and gets to do all her hearings over."

Taylor clearly knew what she was doing when she submitted evidence to the court supporting her own case—just hours before her Dec. 20 hearing—without allowing prosecuting attorneys time to refute it, Magnuson argued. 

Judge Miles did not make a decision Thursday on whether to allow Taylor a second contested omnibus hearing, but she did set a firm deadline of Jan. 23 for both attorneys to submit all briefs in the case.   

In what she called a "contingency plan," Miles also reset Taylor's next court appearance—whether it's a trial or second omnibus hearing—to Feb. 13. 

The judge also reserved May 7 as the date for a jury trial if one becomes necessary.