On June 19th, 2019 Gable Steveson and a University of Minnesota wrestling teammate were both arrested after the Police received a 911 call the previous night about an alleged sexual assault that involved a foreign object object.
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Six months after Steveson’s arrest, it was announced that he will not face criminal charges due to “inadequate evidence,".
When speaking to the media, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman hinted that alcohol may have been involved. He also stated that under Minnesota’s current laws at the time on intoxication and a victim’s ability to give consent, Hennepin County Attorney’s Office “would restricted in how it could bring charges in the case”.
He later went one to state that “In neighboring Wisconsin, Freeman said, prosecutors have broad discretion to charge suspects who know or should know that someone's alcohol consumption can impair his or her ability to give consent. He said he and others have pushed Minnesota lawmakers to pass similar legislation but have been unsuccessful so far.”
Gable Steveson maintained that he was “100% Innocent” during this period.
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/charges-minnesota-wrestlers-alleged-sex-assault-67855516
What exactly is this law you ask? Well in Minnesota:
a person who is sexually assaulted while intoxicated isn't considered "mentally incapacitated" if he or she consumed alcohol or drugs voluntarily.
In laymen’s terms, if a person drank themselves to a point where they could not consent to sexual acts, they were not considered too impaired to have done so.
Minnesota Supreme Court throws out rape conviction because intoxicated woman willingly consumed alcohol
This was a contentious topic which sparked protests in Minnesota. On June 30th, 2021, this loophole which might have helped Steveson avoid charges, was repealed by Minnesota law makers.
“Buried deep in the massive public safety bill that lawmakers passed overnight Wednesday is a provision that closes the “intoxication loophole” in Minnesota’s third-degree sexual conduct law. That statute says a person who is sexually assaulted is not considered “mentally impaired” if they voluntarily drank alcohol or consumed drugs to the point where they could not give reasoned consent. To meet that standard for impairment, current law requires the drugs or alcohol must be “administered to that person without the person’s agreement.”
Minnesota lawmakers close ‘intoxication loophole’ in rape law