HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The trial for a former bonding agent charged with human trafficking and rape was scheduled to start on August 12, but now the state has asked and been granted a continuance by Judge Trish Rose.
The trial for Dwight Jurgens had been continued earlier at the request of the defense because of the heart attack he suffered on May 21. Now the state asked for the continuance because a key detective will not be available when the trial is scheduled to begin. The state had once before requested a continuance because Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton was down with the flu. The rest of the continuances have been made by the defense and Defense Attorney Sam Kepfield objected to the continuance request by the state Friday. Although reluctant, the judge granted the continuance and then tried to set a date for late September for the trial to begin. It’s unclear if that will work for both attorneys, so she left it open for now.
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.