A man who was convicted of rape in Dukes County 20 years ago has been granted a new trial. Chad Edward served time in state prison after a jury found him guilty of rape in 1991 following an incident in the Dark Woods section of Edgartown in the summer of 1990 involving a 15-year-old babysitter.

Granted a new trial by a superior court judge, Mr. Edward was arraigned and pleaded not guilty this week in Dukes County superior court on charges of statutory rape, indecent assault and battery and performing an unnatural act with a child. The reason for the new trial was a technicality involving the fact that Mr. Edward had not been properly notified during his first trial that the courtroom would be closed during a proceeding, a court clerk said.

A new trial is now set for sometime in October. Mr. Edward was 35 at the time of his conviction in 1991. The case had an unusual wrinkle — after Mr. Edward was indicted by a grand jury it was revealed that he was a protected witness in a New Bedford drug conspiracy case that dated back to 1984.

His arraignment this week took place in the Edgartown courthouse before the Hon. Herman J. Smith of Medford, an associate justice of the superior court who is presiding over the spring sitting of superior court.

In other court business, an Oak Bluffs man was sent to state prison for six years for a long list of drug dealing and larceny charges. Richard J. Morris, 56, pleaded guilty to charges of distributing and possessing cocaine and receiving stolen property. He has a criminal record on the Island going back for many years and has been incarcerated in the Edgartown house of correction for the last five months. As part of a plea bargain, Judge Smith sentenced Mr. Morris to serve time at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction. His prison sentence will be followed by four years of probation.

A repeat sex offender was also sent to state prison for two years after he pleaded guilty to charges of indecent assault and battery. Peter J. Duart, 42, of Vineyard Haven, will serve time at Cedar Junction. Mr. Duart is a registered level II sex offender and former assistant coach of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School football team. He has been convicted for sex crimes three times.

The superior court session will run through the end of the month; a variety of civil and other criminal cases are expected to be heard.