Trial for ‘Bachelor’ alum Chris Soules to be reset

INDEPENDENCE - A trial for 'Bachelor” alum Chris Soules, charged in an April crash that resulted in a man's death, set for later this month was continued Friday in Buchanan County District Court and will be reset.

His lawyers previously asked the court to reset his July 19 trial date because discovery materials still are being exchanged and many depositions hadn't been scheduled.  

First Judicial District Chief Judge Kellyann Lekar in the order said a new trial date will be set at a later time.

Soules, 35, who appeared on ABC's 'The Bachelor” in 2015, is charged with hit and run resulting in a death and he has pleaded not guilty.

He was arrested April 25 at his Arlington home after Kenneth Mosher, 66, of Aurora, died in the April 24 crash. Authorities said Soules was driving south on County Road W45 near Aurora around 8:20 p.m. when his pickup rear-ended a tractor driven by Mosher, who died at Mercy Hospital in Oelwein.

Buchanan County District Court documents show 'empty and partially consumed open alcoholic beverages” were found in and around Soules' truck when authorities arrived at the scene. Soules was seen purchasing alcohol shortly before the crash, according to court documents.

Soules' lawyers last month asked the court to prevent certain testimony or evidence in his trial, including his alleged alcohol consumption and any reference to him driving intoxicated.

His lawyers argue in the motion that toxicology testing by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory on two separate samples of urine and blood were negative for drugs and alcohol, so any reference to the purchase of alcohol, consumption or driving while intoxicated, as well as any mention of a field sobriety test or breathalyzer, shouldn't be allowed at trial.

His lawyers, also in the motion, are asking the court to prevent the prosecution from presenting certain evidence that would be prejudicial to Soules and violate his right to a fair trial, due process and the presumption of innocence.

Soules' lawyers also are asking the court to prevent any testimony regarding the circumstances surrounding Soules' arrest.

Soules allegedly left the crash scene after calling 911 in another vehicle and was found at his Arlington home several hours later, according to police reports.

He was booked into the Buchanan County Jail around 1:16 a.m. April 25.

The prosecution hasn't responded to the defense's motions. 

If Soules is convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.

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