A 58-year-old man from Minnesota was sentenced to more than 25 years in prison for a rape that occurred in 2013. The man had a criminal history in Minnesota but had relocated to Arizona at the time of the conviction.
The criminal complaint alleging the rape was filed in January 2019. It said that the man had brought two women to his home in August 2013 and had given them a drug that induced sleep. One woman woke up to being sexually assaulted by the man and escaped the home. She found the other woman who said that she also had been raped and escaped. Though the case closed in August 2016, an additional investigation and re-testing of forensic evidence opened the case back up. The man was found guilty in November 2019 of first-degree sexual misconduct.
During sentencing, the man’s defense team spoke of how he had cleaned up his life. He found a way to address his mental health concerns and addiction problems and had not committed any crimes in several years. His lawyer said that prison would cost the public an estimated $1.5 million and would not act as a deterrent. The judge rejected the request for probation and imposed less than the maximum sentence instead.
Those convicted of a sex crime in Minnesota face strict consequences that may include imprisonment, hefty fines and required registration on the sex offender list. Being a registered sex offender might make it difficult for an accused individual to get a job or go to school. This is why it’s important that those accused of a sex crime are given a fair trial and that their rights aren’t violated during the investigation process. For example, any confessions must be obtained legally. If a confession was obtained illegally or the person did not have their Miranda rights read ahead of time, the confession might be inadmissible in a trial.
