Dexter police legal case put on hold pending selection of judge

Daily Statesman

DEXTER, Mo. -- Stoddard County residents will have to wait longer than anticipated to hear the fate of two Dexter police officers.

Originally scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, Ken Rinehart, Dexter police chief, and police Sgt. Sammy Stone just went about their day after Friday's decision by Associate Circuit Judge John Beaton of Dunklin County to allow a change in judges.

Rinehart and Stone were scheduled to appear before Beaton to hear motions or set a trial date on their indictments by a Stoddard County grand jury in January on a class D felony of hindering prosecution.

Defense attorneys had many questions surrounding the case, so an appearance for the officers will have to wait.

The indictments concerned alleged hindrance of prosecution in the case involving former Dexter police officer Robert Kennedy, who was arrested in July on charges of improper sexual conduct.