The case of a Cincinnati priest facing nine charges of rape is back in Hamilton County Court today. Judge Leslie Ghiz will hear arguments over a motion to dismiss filed by the attorney for Father Geoff Drew.
They want the judge to throw out the rape charges filed against Drew because they say the statute of limitations has run out. The charges go back at least 28 years to a time when Drew was the music minister at Saint Jude's Church in Bridgetown. Prosecutors say the clock does not start running on the time limits until the victim tells a responsible adult and they believe that the case should go to trial. The defense maintains though that there is evidence which suggests that the alleged victim in this case did disclose the details to at least one adult, either the principal at Saint Jude's or a priest he saw for counseling at the time. They argue that because so much time has passed the prosecution cannot prove that he has remained silent all these years. The hearing on the motion is set for 10 o clock this morning.
Here is the summary of the motion to dismiss filed by the attorney for Fr Drew:
CONCLUSION
The State did not commence trial against the Defendant within the statutory time period provided by O.R.C. 2901.13(A)(4), in violation of Mr. Drew’s right to a speedy trial. This right is guaranteed by Section 10, Article I of the Ohio Constitution and the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the United States Constitution, which is applicable to the State by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Nor is the State able through Discovery to provide evidence that these offenses were never reported when they occurred. Therefore, the case must be dismissed in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code, the Federal and State Constitutions, and relevant case law