Pre-trial hearing in William Luckey sex offense against a minor case again delayed as plea agreement negotiations continue

For the second time in just under three weeks, a pre-trial Warren County Circuit Court hearing on Solicitation and Indecent Liberties with a minor child under the age of 16 case against former Christendom College professor William Luckey was continued as the prosecution and defense appear to be working toward a potential plea agreement.

“I think we are making progress toward resolving this case,” Stafford-based defense counsel Thaddeus Furlong told the court in seeking the continuance of the May 16 hearing at which a trial date was expected to be set.

“We’re very close,” Furlong told the court on Friday, on that June 3rd continued hearing date. Furlong made the comment while informing the court the two sides would need additional time working toward a non-trial resolution. With Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Samantha Meadows agreeing with the motion for a second continuance of the pre-trial hearing, Judge Thomas D.
Horne granted the continuance to 10 a.m. on the docket of Friday, June 24th.

William Luckey spent 18 days in jail in the wake of his June 25, 2021, arrest before being granted bail. How much time he might have to return to jail as part of a plea agreement likely remains a topic of discussion between prosecution and defense counsel.

While not mentioned during either hearing, an out-of-court resolution that would not require the testimony of the alleged minor victim or family members could be a mutually desirable outcome from both the prosecution and defense perspectives of the case.

Luckey, who is released on a $50,000 secured bond, was again present. The 73-year-old Luckey, who suffers from myriad health issues as noted by his attorneys during earlier hearings in the case, again used a walker and appeared frail as he entered and left the courtroom. Among the physical issues, his attorneys have cited during earlier hearings are consequences of past back and brain injuries, cardiac problems, and high blood pressure. See: “Joint motion to continue Luckey hearing toward what – trial date or plea agreement? RSW fatal overdose hearings also continued”

As noted in the above-linked story reference to Royal Examiner’s coverage of a June 30, 2021, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court bond hearing, responding to his wife’s taped jailhouse phone conversation comment, “This isn’t what happened … It’s not like you raped somebody,” of specific sexual acts listed in a general “Solicitation of a Minor” warrant her husband was served with, the still-incarcerated Luckey replied, “No, it doesn’t say ‘Show me your hiney’.” At another point in recorded conversations in the days after his arrest, Dr. Luckey told his wife his situation was a result “of 15 minutes of stupidity on my part.” See: “William Luckey denied bond on child sex abuse charges”

William R. Luckey at the time of his June 25, 2021, booking at RSW Jail on indecent liberties charges against a minor alleged to have occurred three days earlier. Photo RSW Jail website

Luckey was arrested on June 25 of last year, three days after the incident involving a minor under 16 is alleged to have occurred. After initially being denied bond in J&D Court on June 30, on defense appeal of that ruling Luckey was released July 12, 2021, on a conditional bond granted by Circuit Court Judge William W. Sharp. Among the conditions of his bond, Luckey is not to have contact with minors “without another adult within sight and sound of them” and “No contact directly or indirectly with the victim or the victim’s parents”. Luckey was further ordered “Not to counsel or direct or encourage any effort by anyone else to discourage victim, victim’s parents, or other witnesses from cooperating with the prosecution”.