Fair. Trusted. Reporting in Rappahannock County and across Virginia’s Piedmont.

Donate
Donate

‘Where’s my help?’: Jeffery Dwyer, accused of child sex crimes, in court without attorney present

by | Jan 26, 2024

Jeffery Dwyer being escorted into the Rappahannock County Courthouse on Jan. 18, 2024.
Jeffery Dwyer being escorted into the Rappahannock County Courthouse on Jan. 18, 2024.

Jeffery Dwyer

Jeffery Dwyer being escorted into the Rappahannock County Courthouse on Jan. 18, 2024. 

Jeffery Dwyer, 60, a Warrenton man accused of multiple counts of aggravated sexual battery, sodomy and indecent acts with a child, told a Rappahannock County Circuit Court judge Thursday that he has concerns over his legal representation. 

Dwyer stood before Judge Matthew Snow without his attorney, Harold N. Ward Jr., present. Commonwealth’s Attorney Art Goff told the judge it’s “a challenge for Mr. Ward to get here” as he is in Orange County on another case. 

Sign up for Rapp News Daily, a free newsletter delivered to your email inbox every morning.

Wearing an orange and white striped prison uniform with “RSW Inmate” on the back and chains attached to his ankles, Dwyer, who walked with a limp, said he had not had many opportunities to speak with his lawyer outside of the courthouse. 

“I have only talked to my attorney here, and that’s been four times,” Dwyer told the judge. “I don’t even know where I stand. I have an incredible defense but I can’t get with him to work it out…like where’s my help?”

Dwyer was accused of the crimes by his nephew, Robert William Jenkins Jr., 50, of Rappahannock County, who allegedly shot at Dwyer in December 2022 and was charged with attempted first-degree murder. Jenkins told investigators that Dwyer had molested him 35 years ago when he was a child, according to reports from the Fauquier Times. 

Snow set a court date of July 23-24 for a two-day trial and said, “if representation continues to be an issue,” Dwyer could file in writing that he wishes to change attorneys.

“I do hear your concerns with counsel, and I’m not discounting that,” Snow said. “We just need to get the ball going and get some clarity.”

Dwyer’s last words to the judge were, “I hope the court looks at the crime of perjury as hard as this,” when his case comes to trial.

The Rappahannock News was unable to reach Ward for a comment.

Editor’s note: Robert William Jenkins Jr. allegedly shot at Jeffery Dwyer — Jenkins did not shoot Dwyer.

Sign up for Rapp News Daily, a free newsletter delivered to your email inbox every morning.

Subtext

Author

  • Ireland Hayes

    Ireland joined Foothills Forum as a full-time reporter in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism and minor in music. As a student, she gained valuable experience in reporter and editor positions at The Red & Black, an award-winning student newspaper, and contributed to Grady Newsource and the Athens Banner-Herald. She spent three years as an editorial assistant at Georgia Magazine, UGA’s quarterly alumni publication, and interned with The Bitter Southerner.
    Growing up in a small town in Southeast Georgia, Ireland developed a deep appreciation for rural communities and the unique stories they have to tell. She completed undergraduate research on news deserts, ghost papers and the ways rural communities in Georgia are being forced to adapt to a lack of local news. This research further sparked her interest in a career contributing to the preservation of local and rural news.
Republish License

Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.

By Ireland Hayes

Read more articles by Ireland Hayes
Ireland joined Foothills Forum as a full-time reporter in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism and minor in music. As a student, she gained valuable experience in reporter and editor positions at The Red & Black, an award-winning student newspaper, and contributed to Grady Newsource and the Athens Banner-Herald. She spent three years as an editorial assistant at Georgia Magazine, UGA’s quarterly alumni publication, and interned with The Bitter Southerner. Growing up in a small town in Southeast Georgia, Ireland developed a deep appreciation for rural communities and the unique stories they have to tell. She completed undergraduate research on news deserts, ghost papers and the ways rural communities in Georgia are being forced to adapt to a lack of local news. This research further sparked her interest in a career contributing to the preservation of local and rural news.