Pennington County will be the new location for the capital murder trial of Joseph Hoek, the man accused of intentionally killing Moody County Deputy Sheriff Ken Prorok during a high-speed chase.
The decision was made late last week following the most recent status hearing in the case. Earlier this month, Third Judicial Circuit Judge Gregory Stoltenburg ordered the trial moved out of Moody County over concerns about jury bias and Hoek’s ability to receive a fair trial.
The trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 21, 2026, and could last up to five weeks…