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Judge Sets Trial Date for ‘Bachelor’ Alum Chris Soules’ Fatal Car Crash Case
Last April, Chris Soules was charged with leaving the scene of a car accident that left 66-year-old Vietnam veteran Kenneth E. Mosher dead. Days after the Iowa Supreme Court denied his request to have the felony charged dropped, a trial date has finally been set for the Bachelor alum’s case.
According to the Associated Press, Judge Andrea Dryer has set aside four days starting Nov. 7. If the jury finds Chris guilty of leaving the scene of an accident — a class D felony in Iowa — “Prince Farming” could face up to five years in prison. Chris’ legal team has previously fought for the reality star to avoid trial since he is a public figure.
“If Mr. Soules is forced to proceed to trial and then appeal, there would be no way to undo the publicity and restore Mr. Soules to his original position,” his attorneys stated, according to documents obtained by the Des Moines Register. “Addressing this questionable and fundamentally unfair charge, given these facts, prior to trial, better serves the interests of justice.”
Although Chris — who entered a not guilty plea to the charge last May — left the scene after rear-ending Mosher’s tractor with his pickup truck, the former Dancing With the Stars competitor’s lawyers have argued that there is no law in Iowa that requires a person to wait for emergency vehicles following a fatal crash. And while his attorneys stand behind that argument, they’ve reminded the court that Chris attempted to perform CPR on Mosher before calling the police.
Despite Chris’ multiple efforts to have the charge dismissed, the Iowa Supreme Court recently revealed they are not willing to do so under any circumstance. “Upon consideration, the application for interlocutory appeal and request for stay are denied,” the court wrote in a statement to USA Today on Feb. 23.
Not long after the deadly incident took place, Chris broke his silence in an exclusive statement to In Touch. “My family and I are overwhelmed with this tragedy, but we are sticking together and we’ll get through it,” he said at the time. “Thank you for reaching out.”
