Marine veteran Brandon Rumbaugh appears in court for preliminary hearing
Rumbaugh appeared in a Pleasant Hills courtroom for his preliminary hearing. Three of the charges against him were withdrawn, while the remaining ones were waived to the Court of Common Pleas.
Wearing a bright green Allegheny County Jail jumpsuit, Rumbaugh was escorted into court for his first appearance since his arrest.
According to his attorney, Rumbaugh missed his bond hearing earlier because jail officials said they couldn't safely transport him.
Among the charges dropped were unlawful contact with a minor, sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault, the most serious and potentially time-heavy of the original charges.
"Aggravated indecent assault carries a mandatory minimum. It's the only charge in this information that does, and we were successfully able to get it withdrawn," said Rumbaugh's attorney, David Shrager.
Shrager says waiving the case to Common Pleas Court was the best-case scenario.
"The burden here is extremely light. It is not beyond a reasonable doubt; this is not a trial. We don't get to call witnesses or testify on our own behalf. The Commonwealth presents witnesses, we get to ask a few questions, and that's it. Given that, and the opportunities we have moving forward, this made the most sense," said Shrager.
Despite the dropped charges, Rumbaugh still faces several serious allegations, including rape, statutory sexual assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.
"I understand how many people are disappointed because of the level of respect and the accomplishments he's known for, and they're now faced with what are still just allegations," said Shrager.
Rumbaugh's next court appearance is scheduled for August.
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