HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After Judge Trish Rose denied a defense motion to dismiss charges for a former bonding agent charged with human trafficking and rape. The defense attorney for Dwight Jurgens has filed a new motion to dismiss on different grounds.
Attorney Sam Kepfield is now arguing that the charges should be dropped because new legislation suggest that the behavior of Jurgens is not defined as aggravated human trafficking.
Jurgens is charged with four counts of aggravated human trafficking, two counts of attempting to commit aggravated human trafficking, rape and aggravated criminal sodomy. The human trafficking and aggravated counts are charged due to his authority of controlling persons because of his bonding business. He had worked for TNT bonding at the time of the initial arrest.
All four victims allege that they were threatened with being taken back to jail if they didn’t agree to have sex with him.
Judge Rose earlier in keeping in line with a ruling by Judge Joe McCarville denied an earlier request for the charges to be dropped. Now, she’ll hear arguments in the new motion this Thursday.
The trial itself which as been continued twice. It’s now scheduled to begin on May 20, and depending how she rules on the new motion, will begin that day. She says it has priority over other cases potentially scheduled to start that week.