Motion is made to close Kjos’ trial

DICKINSON - A motion to close Jeffrey Kjos’s trial was made by Assistant State’s Attorney Rhonda Ehlis during Kjos’s pretrial conference on Tuesday.

Kjos, a 40-year-old Dickinson man, is facing multiple sexually related abuse charges.

Ehlis’s motion has not yet been acted on.

“I made a motion to close the trial…but I did ask in that motion to allow one media representative to be present,” Ehlis said.

Ehlis said she made the motion to close the trial “because of the ages of the children and because there are children involved and because of the serious nature of the offenses involving children.”

All victims involved in the matter were under the age of 15 at the time the alleged abuse took place.

Kjos is currently being charged with three counts of gross sexual imposition. One of these counts constitutes a Class AA felony, while the other two constitute Class B felonies.

He is also being charged with one count of abuse or neglect of a child, which constitutes a Class C felony, and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, a Class A felony.

Ehlis said a second pretrial conference has been scheduled for July 21 to address any last minute issues. She believes her motion to close the trial will be ruled upon at that time.

The jury trial is set to begin on July 23 at 9 a.m., but Ehlis believes it will last at least two days.

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