Bowers Named New Judge In Sheriff TrialElkhart Superior Court II Judge Stephen Bowers is the new presiding judge over the upcoming trial of Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine. Both the prosecution and Rovenstine’s defense team agreed to Bowers taking place of Elkhart Superior Judge I Evan Roberts, according to court documents filed Friday. Bowers has been serving in the Elkhart court since 2006. Roberts stepped aside “due to illness” in court documents filed Thursday. Roberts was originally appointed after Kosciusko?Circuit Judge Michael Reed recused himself in the case shortly after the indictment. The sheriff is scheduled to begin a three-week jury trial April 3, with three days set for a jury selection. Lawyers in the case do not expect the trial to be delayed due to the change of judge. If an impartial jury cannot be found in Kosciusko County, the trial will be moved. Rovenstine was indicted, along with former Grace College professor Mark Soto and former martial arts instructor Kevin Bronson, in February 2016. Rovenstine is charged with 10 felony charges, including bribery and official misconduct. Prosecutors allege Rovenstine agreed to receive $40,000 to allow Bronson special privileges while in the Kosciusko County Jail. Bronson allegedly added the sheriff to his will as a promise for the payment. Among the allegations are that Rovenstine let Bronson and Soto meet unmonitored despite a request from?Warsaw Police Department to prevent that. Warsaw Police Department officer Paul Heaton was investigating Bronson and Soto for racketeering and intimidation tactics in connection with Bronson’s attempt to raise funds for a movie about his time in the Aryan Brotherhood and subsequent conversion to Christianity. Soto and Bronson are scheduled to face a jury trial Aug. 1. Prosecutors indicted in previous court records that they are close to a plea agreement with Bronson.
