Fajardo Arraignment Delayed

A court appearance for Werner Fajardo Tuesday morning did not take place as scheduled. Fajardo was to have been arraigned on 15 charges with his new court appointed lawyer Carmen Means of Huron. Beadle County Deputy States Attorney Jeff Banks says Means called early Tuesday and asked the arraignment be delayed Banks says they are placing the arraignment on the court calender for March 27th at 9:30 AM. Banks also says the status of a second criminal file is still pending against Fajardo. That file charges Fajardo violated South Dakota beverage laws, after Huron police discovered minors drinking in the former El Cuervo bar, that Fajardo owned. That incident happened the weekend after his release from the Beadle County Jail on 15 charges that include rape, sexual contact with a person under 16 years old, sexual exploitation of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor. A new trial date has not be set.  Means was appointed to represent Fajardo after lawyer Jeff Burns was recused for a possible conflict of interest with a witness in the case.  Means has previously represented defendants in the high profile cases of Melissa Kruger, the former De Smet high schooler accused of making threats against De Smet High School on Facebook and Christopher Aguayo, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first of four homicide cases in 2009