High court to appoint judge for Dexter police officers

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The decision on which judge hears the cases involving two Dexter police officers charged with hindering prosecution is now up to the Missouri Supreme Court.

This came Friday after Associate Circuit Judge John Beaton of Dunklin County granted a motion for change of judge filed on behalf of police chief Ken Rinehart and Sgt. Sammy Stone, according to Stoddard County Circuit Court, Division I, personnel.

Rinehart and Stone were indicted by a Stoddard County grand jury in January on a felony of hindering prosecution. The indictments stem from an incident involving former Dexter officer Robert Kennedy, who was arrested in July on charges of improper sexual activities and later pleaded guilty to three felonies .

As a result of Friday's actions, Rinehart and Stone will not be in court Tuesday as scheduled. They were supposed to appear before Beaton for a motions hearing or trial setting.

Their next court date will be set after a judge is assigned.

Whichever judge is assigned will have several more defense motions to consider and rule on.

On behalf of Rinehart and Stone, John Oliver of Cape Girardeau and Jim Spain of Poplar Bluff filed motions seeking a change of venue, dismissal for failure to state an offense and other irregularities and for discovery in the cases.

Two notices were filed indicating the defense's intent to take depositions from and to call as witnesses Presiding Circuit Judge Stephen Sharp and Prosecuting Attorney Briney Welborn as part of motion to quash the grand jury indictment.

A third notice indicated the intent of the defense to use the prosecuting attorney as a witness for the defense in the trial, if one is necessary.