Breaking News: Trial date set for Wayne Bent case

TRIAL SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 20

(Beyond90Seconds.com broke this story at approximately 12:25pm PST on July 24. This page was last updated at 1:47pm PST.)

(July 24) Beyond90Seconds.com has learned that a trial date for the State of New Mexico’s criminal case against controversial church leader Wayne Bent has been scheduled to begin Monday, October 20, 2008 at 9am at the Union County Courthouse in Clayton, New Mexico.

The jury trial is scheduled to last five days.

This new information is found in a Criminal Scheduling Order filed in Union County District Court at 10:04am today.

On May 20, a grand jury indicted Bent on four counts: two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor in the second degree, unclothed. And two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The next court event in the Bent case is a pre-trial hearing scheduled for August 19 at 2:30pm at the Union County Courthouse.  Beyond90Seconds.com has learned that this hearing had been scheduled for August 12, but was rescheduled this morning due to a scheduling conflict.

According to the Criminal Scheduling Order, the State has until September 1 to present Bent’s attorney with a proposed plea agreement.

Union County Court Deputy Clerk Karen Vieites confirms the jury trial will begin October 20 unless a plea agreement is reached prior to that time.

Criminal Scheduling Order, signed by Judge Gerald E. Baca and delivered this morning to Deputy District Attorney Tomas Benavidez and Wayne Bent’s attorney, Sarah Montoya:

(See all Beyond90Seconds.com Wayne Bent stories)