John D. Jessup, 49, Shirley, is a Hancock County Commissioner accused of sexual assault in Las Vegas. His case has been “bound over” to a higher court for trial, according to court records.
LAS VEGAS — The sexual assault case against Hancock County Commissioner John D. Jessup has been “bound over” to a higher court, according to Clark County (Nev.) court records.
Jessup was due in Las Vegas district court Tuesday morning for that arraignment, district court records state. He was in a magistrate court July 25, where court records show negotiations were vacated and the case was “bound over” for trial.
According to court records in Nevada, a criminal case is “bound over” to a district court when a defendant loses a preliminary hearing in justice court. The case file is transferred from a magistrate court to a district court, where all future hearings will take place. The case is then set for arraignment in district court, where the judge will set the case for trial.
The move comes after Jessup had a preliminary hearing July 11, where a side bar conference was held. During the side bar session, Jessup’s defense attorney asked the court for the matter to be continued so the two sides could try to work together for some type of negotiation or plea agreement, which came at the defense’s request.
Jessup, 49, Shirley, has been in the Clark County Jail in Las Vegas since being transported there in mid-June after law enforcement officials in Las Vegas say Jessup sexually assaulted a woman at a hotel in Las Vegas following a drunken night on the town in January.
Jessup has been held under a $100,000 cash bond since his first arraignment earlier this summer after officials there say they believe he is guilty of the sexual assault of a woman earlier in the year.
Sexual assault is considered a Category A felony in Nevada — the most serious level of felony in the state. State law says it is illegal to engage in sexual penetration either by force or without lawful consent. The sentence for a sexual assault conviction depends on several factors, including the victim’s age, whether the victim was injured, and the defendant’s criminal history. According to Las Vegas statutes, for forced sexual penetration or sexual penetration without the ability to consent, the maximum penalty is life with the possibility of parole after 10 years.
Officials with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in an official report filed June 8 that the sexual assault of a woman happened at a Las Vegas hotel after Jessup “fed” the woman alcohol throughout a night in late January.
Officials in the police report quoted Jessup as saying, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” during a night filled with alcohol, gambling and a visit to a strip club. Then, in an interview conducted by the Shirley Police Department several months after the alleged incident, Jessup admitted to local officials he did sexually assault the woman. The report went on to say Jessup, however, didn’t feel it was a criminal offense, but rather a result of a drunken night.
Jessup, who has not been at any county commissioners meetings since his arrest in mid-June, was asked to step down from his bid to run for a seat on the Hancock County Council this November. However, Jessup has refused, county officials told the Daily Reporter. That means it will be up to county voters whether he is one of the candidates selected to serve on the county council starting Jan. 1, 2024. Regardless, Jessup’s term as a county commissioner ends Dec. 31.
To read more details about the case and charge against Jessup visit https://www.greenfieldreporter.com/2024/06/18/investigation-of-jessup-began-in-january/
