Jessup appears in Las Vegas court to face sexual assault charges – The Daily Reporter

HANCOCK COUNTY – John D. Jessup, the Hancock County Commissioner accused of sexual assault in a January incident, was extradited to Las Vegas and booked into the Clark County Jail there earlier this week before his first court appearance in the case.

According to court documents, bail was set at $100,000 by a Las Vegas judge at Jessup’s initial hearing Thursday morning.

Jessup was extradited to Las Vegas from the Shelby County Jail late Tuesday night, nearly two weeks after he was arrested on sexual assault charges. Officials with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) said in an official report filed June 8 that the sexual assault of a woman at a Las Vegas hotel occurred after Jessup “plied” the woman with alcohol during a night of drinking on the town in late January.

According to court records, Jessup’s case has been assigned to the Las Vegas Regional Justice Center, Courtroom 7C, and will now begin trial in Nevada. Jessup had an initial hearing Thursday morning, where the two sides reached an agreement on how to proceed with the case, according to court records.

“The State has presented clear and convincing evidence that no less restrictive alternative to bail would meet its interests in ensuring the presence of the defendant and/or the safety of the community,” court documents state.

According to court records, the judge set bail at a total of $100,000, with a release order and strict electronic monitoring, which Las Vegas officials told the Daily Reporter typically means house arrest if Jessup meets all other release requirements. The court also issued a no-contact order for the victim, filed that order and served it on Jessup in open court. According to court records, Jessup is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on July 11 at 9 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Late Thursday, Jessup was still listed as an inmate at the Clark County Jail after being transferred from the Shelby County Jail, where he had been held since June 14.

Hancock County police officials told the Daily Reporter that almost all county residents arrested are taken to the Hancock County Jail, but Jessup was taken to the Shelby County Jail on June 14 because of his position as county commissioner. Sheriff Brad Burkhart noted that he did not want to hold an elected official in a county detention center after Las Vegas authorities filed sexual assault charges.

Las Vegas authorities issued an arrest warrant for Jessup on June 8 after an investigation launched in February concluded that Jessup sexually assaulted a woman after a night of drinking at a Las Vegas hotel.

In the police report released earlier this week, officers quoted Jessup as saying, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” during the night of drinking, gambling and a visit to a strip club. In an interview with the Shirley Police Department (SPD) several months after the alleged incident, Jessup admitted to officers that he had sexually assaulted the woman. The report added that Jessup did not feel it was a crime, but rather the result of a night of drinking.

Jessup, who currently serves as a Hancock County commissioner for Vernon, Green and Brown townships, won a primary in May to become a member of the Hancock County Council in 2025. He is still on the ballot for that position and would need to be among the top three vote-getters of the five candidates to serve on the Hancock County Council in 2025.

Hancock County officials told the Daily Reporter that due to his arrest and the nature of the charges, Jessup was asked to remove his name from the ballot, but declined.

Sexual assault is considered a Class A felony in Nevada, the state’s most serious crime. According to state law, sexual penetration by force or without lawful consent is illegal. The sentence for a sexual assault conviction depends on several factors, including the age of the victim, whether the victim was injured, and the defendant’s criminal history. According to Las Vegas law, the maximum sentence for forced sexual penetration or sexual penetration without the capacity to consent is life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 10 years.