Motion to dismiss filed in case of police officers

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Attorneys representing two Dexter police officers charged with hindering prosecution have filed what one of them describes as an "unusual" motion asking that the cases be dismissed.

John Oliver of Cape Girardeau and Jim Spain of Poplar Bluff filed a motion for dismissal for "failure to state an offense and other irregularities" in Circuit Court, Division I March 29 on behalf of Police Chief Ken Rinehart and Sgt. Sammy Stone.

The officers were indicted by a Stoddard County grand jury in January on a Class D 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. He later pleaded guilty to three felonies and was placed on five years' supervised probation.