An Augusta County man hopes a judge will keep him from facing a third trial on child molestation charges. He is accused of child sex abuse dating back 30 years.
During the first trial last summer, a jury was unable to reach a verdict in any of the cases against 59-year-old Ronnie Lee Shifflett. Then during his second trial in March, another jury acquitted him in the case of one Shifflett family member who had accused him of molesting her in the 1980s. But on the charges related to a second alleged victim, the jury remained hung and the judge declared a mistrial.
Monday afternoon, Shifflett's defense attorney argued the remaining charges were quote "simply unbelievable" and should be dismissed. The judge will make a ruling in the coming days.
