With his trial scheduled to start tomorrow, Ray Shetler Jr. on Friday was released from jail after posting bond, and the trial has been rescheduled for December 5th.
Shetler is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and a single count of disarming a law enforcement officer for brawling with Westmoreland County deputies and state police at his girlfriend’s mobile home outside of Seward in December of last year. The authorities had gone there to arrest him for skipping a probation hearing. Both Shetler and a sheriff’s deputy suffered serious injuries in the fight.
The road to a trial has had several twists and turns. In June, Shetler demanded the trial be held as scheduled that month, but it was postponed until August. In August, it was rescheduled again, this time for October 17th. Then last month, Shetler’s attorney filed a motion for nominal bond based on Rule 600 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, which stipulates nominal bond for any eligible defendant if incarcerated for more than 180 days before trial. Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio granted the bond and rescheduled the trial during a hearing on Friday.
