JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The dismissal of sodomy charges against Aaron Fisher has caught the attention of a state representative in whose district the sexual abuse of Fisher's five-month-old daughter occurred.
Representative Rocky Miller says he will be looking into the possibility of impeaching Judge Patricia Joyce for setting Fisher free. On Oct. 23, 2015, Joyce sustained a motion by Fisher's defense to dismiss the case based on the claim that his constitutional right to a speedy trial had been violated. However, the prosecuting attorney who handled the first five years of the six-year-long case, Matt Howard, claims the majority of the delays were caused by Fisher's own defense attorney.
In 2014, Fisher admitted sodomizing and raping his daughter, and pleaded guilty to the two felony forcible sodomy counts he was facing. He later changed his plea to "not guilty."
“This appears to be the height of incompetency for a Circuit Court Judge in Missouri and I will be reviewing her performance to verify that it has risen to the level of impeachment,” Miller said on Monday.
The Missouri Constitution places the duty of impeachment of Judges in the hands of the House of Representatives with a trial before the Missouri Supreme Court after Articles of Impeachment are approved.
