An attorney is requesting that the case for a Dubuque teen charged with sexual abuse be moved to juvenile court.
Jordan S. Hillard, 17, of Dubuque, is charged in Iowa District Court of Dubuque County with second- and third-degree sexual abuse. He previously pleaded not guilty.
Hillard’s attorney, Steven Drahozal, filed documents requesting a reverse waiver to bring the case to juvenile court. Hillard is charged as an adult in the case due to an Iowa law that automatically tries 16- and 17-year-old offenders as adults if they are accused of severe crimes.
“There are reasonable prospects for rehabilitating (Hillard) if the Juvenile Court were to obtain jurisdiction over (Hillard),” court documents submitted by Drahozal state.
The Dubuque County Attorney’s Office filed a resistance to the reverse waiver, however, stating in documents that there are not “reasonable prospects” for rehabilitating Hillard.
Court documents state that Hillard was among multiple juvenile males who sexually assaulted an intoxicated woman on May 2 at a Dubuque residence. The Telegraph Herald does not provide identifying information for victims of alleged sexual crimes.
A hearing to discuss the request to grant Hillard a reverse waiver has been scheduled for May 23 at the Dubuque County Courthouse.