SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) - A circuit court has ordered the the trial of Joseph Hoek to be moved from Moody County to Pennington County.

Hoek is charged with the 2024 murder of Moody County Deputy Sheriff Ken Prorok. Hoek is accused of swerving and intentionally running down Prorok on the highway during a high speed chase.

The main reason the judge decided to move the trial was a court-approved survey of Moody County Residents. Fifty-nine percent said they have already formed an opinion about Joseph Hoek’s guilt or innocence. Therefore, the trial will be moved to another community where people are less familiar with the case.

The trial is scheduled to start on September 21, 2026, and the trial is scheduled for five weeks.

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