During a brief court proceeding in Oklahoma on Thursday (Sept. 4), Gateway Church founder Robert Morris waived his right to a preliminary hearing. The disgraced former megachurch pastor, who is accused of sexually abusing Cindy Clemishire in the 1980s, will be back in district court on Oct. 2 to be arraigned.
Morris showed up to the courtroom in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, with his wife and lawyer. Neither Morris nor his attorney made a statement to the press. The prosecution, Oklahoma’s attorney general, said it “looks forward to presenting our case against the defendant at trial.”
Clemishire arrived to court with several family members, and some spectators told reporters they were present to support her. After the 10-minute court proceeding, Clemishire said she was grateful for the prosecution’s efforts and for her family’s support.
At a preliminary hearing, or probable cause hearing, the judge determines whether evidence warrants continuation of the case. At next month’s indictment, the case against Morris could be set for trial.
Gateway Founder Robert Morris Accused of Sexual Abuse
Cindy Clemishire, now in her mid-50s, has accused Robert Morris of abusing her for more than four years, beginning when she was 12 and he was 21. At the time, Morris was a traveling preacher who sometimes stayed with Clemishire’s family in Oklahoma.
Morris, 64, resigned as Gateway’s senior pastor last summer, after Clemishire went public with the accusations. Morris has pleaded not guilty to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. After being indicted in March, the former pastor was released on a $50,000 bond.
If convicted on all counts, Morris could face up to 100 years in prison. The statute of limitations doesn’t apply to Morris because he didn’t reside in Oklahoma at any time of the alleged crimes.
, Gateway Church founder Robert Morris waived his right to a preliminary hearing.){kind=link}