Court processes continue for a man accused of sexually abusing a teenager early this year.
Judge Laura Miser moved a pretrial hearing from Thursday to May 5 in the case of Dennis Ray Torrence, but only after she denied a defense motion to recuse herself from the case after attorney Rand Simmons said Torrence doesn’t believe he can get a fair trial with Miser presiding.
Torrence is accused of two counts of rape and two counts of aggravated indecent liberties, both sets of charges allegedly involving a child under the age of 14.
Meanwhile, a Lyon County felony child abuse case will have a pretrial and plea hearing next month as well.
Marisela Castillo Tovar faces one count of felony child abuse after allegedly “causing disfigurement” as part of an alleged incident last year. Tovar also has an alternate felony child abuse count in this case. Her next hearing is May 5.
