REPORT: New Trial expected in June Lewis County resident faced with child rape charges in wake of error that resulted in mistrial

LOWVILLE- A mistrial was declared last week in Lewis County Court for a man faced with child rape charges after the prosecution made an error in their proceedings.

This development is according to the latest from Linking Lewis County.com.

Judge Daniel R. King’s decision, according to his statements, revolves around a video clip, which shows an interview between a State Police investigator and Dylan C. Hoch, who was indicted last summer on 12 child rape charges for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a child between January, 2019 and December, 2023.

In this video clip, the investigator asks whether or not Mr. Hoch was on probation when he was arrested before.

This led Judge King to immediately stop the video and dismiss the jury on the grounds that if a jury finds out about a defendant’s prior arrests or bad acts, it can be so “pre-judicial” that the defendant “cannot receive a fair trial.”

Defense attorneys for Hoch pointed out how the interview suggested that Mr. Hoch had been convicted of a crime in the past, which is not true, they said.

With the mistrial at hand, reports suggest that Mr. Hoch is expected to have a new trial, with a new jury, come June.

Lewis County Courthouse image.