A preliminary hearing has been set for former Owensboro Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Matthew Constant, who pleaded not guilty to two felony charges during his arraignment Wednesday morning. Daniel Boling has been appointed as a Special Judge to preside over the case.
Constant, 51, has been charged by Kentucky State Police with procuring or promoting the use of a minor and tampering with physical evidence. He was arrested on July 27 and was initially scheduled to be arraigned on July 28 by Daviess District Court Judge Shannon Meyer. While he did appear virtually from the Daviess County Detention Center, his arraignment was rescheduled to August 2 due to Meyer recusing herself from the case.
Constant was arraigned Wednesday by Chief District Judge Misty Miller, who advised Constant of his rights and the charges against him. A “not guilty” plea was entered on Constant’s behalf, which Daviess County Attorney John Burlew said in a release “is extremely common in Kentucky and perhaps elsewhere, at this stage, for these kinds of offenses.”
Constant’s bond remains at $35,000 full cash. Michael Lee, Constant’s attorney, asked for the bond to be reduced to $5,000 cash — but Miller denied the request and said the Special Judge would hear that motion at the next hearing.
Boling, who is the Hancock County District Court Judge, was selected as the Special Judge in the case after all Daviess County’s District and Circuit judges recused themselves due to personal relationships with Constant.
The preliminary hearing in front of Boling will take place on August 9. Burlew said the hearing will be “to determine whether probable cause exists to send a case to the Grand Jury for possible indictment. Sometimes these hearings are waived by the defense.”
For the latest details on Constant’s case — from the relationship that sparked the investigation, to why he was allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies, to his arraignment being postponed — here’s everything to know so far.
