Scheduling hearing rescheduled in rape case

A scheduling hearing for Michael A. Kuest scheduled for July 22 has been pushed back to July 29 after Douglas Phelps, Kuest’s attorney, failed to show up for the hearing.

Superior Court Judge Steve Dixon first skipped Kuest’s case and moved ahead with other cases on the schedule to allow time for Phelps to arrive. After doing this for about 45 minutes, he told Kuest that he had been informed Phelps had somehow not known about the hearing and was in court elsewhere. He then announced he was moving the hearing back one week.

The scheduling conference became necessary when Phelps was assigned to the case earlier this month after Kuest’s prior lawyers requested to be let off due to a conflict of interest. His trial was originally to start July 23. It is currently on the schedule for Oct. 22. Kuest faces a charge of Rape in the First Degree.