An 18-year-old man facing first and second degree rape charges, who waived his right to a preliminary hearing, has been ordered to stand trial in June.
Formal charges were filed in Lincoln County District Court Sep. 1. 2022 against Luke Anthony Myers, whose address is listed as Stillwater, following his arrest by Lincoln County deputies.
He first appeared before Associate District Judge Sheila Kirk and she set his bond at $50,000. He made his initial appearance before Special Judge Emily Mueller on Sep. 8 and she scheduled his pre-preliminary hearing for Sep. 15.
On that date, Judge Mueller scheduled his preliminary hearing and a bond hearing for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 4. Court records show he appeared for the preliminary hearing on Dec. 16.
That is when he waived his right to a preliminary hearing and his arraignment was held recently before District Judge Traci Soderstrom. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Judge Soderstrom ordered he appear for the felony disposition docket on May 16 and scheduled his jury trial for June 5 this year. The judge set the cause for status conference at 9:30 a.m. on March 21.
In the first degree rape count, Myers is accused on Aug. 23, at a residence in the Town of Davenport in Lincoln County, of having sexual intercourse with a girl who was 14 years old and who was not his wife.
According to the charges, Myers allegedly accomplished what he did by the use of use of force and violence and the defendant had the apparent power to carry out his threats of force and violence.
The second degree rape count charges him with the same act with the 14-year-old girl, who was not his wife.
Lincoln County Deputy Aaron Bennett, Investigators Kelly Coleman and Larry Stover, Sac and Fox victim’s advocate Brittney Trombley and other officers were involved in the investigation.