The first-degree murder trial of Joseph Hoek is no longer scheduled to begin in September in Rapid City.

A judge has delayed the trial. Hoek is charged with killing Moody County Deputy Sheriff Ken Prorok in 2024.

Last October, a judge moved his murder trial from Flandreau to Rapid City in Pennington County and set the trial date for September 21st.

Late last week, Hoek’s lawyers filed 51 different motions.

Attorney General Marty Jackley says the trial could be delayed until mid to late 2027. Jackley says they have another hearing date next Friday, and there will be an evidentiary hearing probably within 30 days. He’s disappointed the case will not move forward as quickly as they had hoped. 

If that’s the case, Jackley will no longer be the South Dakota Attorney General, as he is running for a seat in Congress, with the election coming up in November.

The 51 motions seem like a lot, but Jackley says he is respectful of the process and the judge’s decision to go through them all.