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Crime, Law and Justice
Matt Sepic
Minneapolis

Sexual assault charges dropped against Renaissance Festival manager

Buildings at the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee.
Buildings at the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, Minn., Oct. 2, 2010.
Drew Geraets | Creative Commons via Flickr 2010

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A former Renaissance Festival manager accused of sexual assault will not stand trial after the alleged victim, citing personal challenges, said it would be too difficult to come to court to testify.

Jury selection had been set to start Monday in the trial of Carr L. Hagerman, 62. Scott County prosecutors say he raped a freelance photographer on the Renaissance Festival grounds in September 2017.

But this week the government dismissed the two counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct against Hagerman.

In a court filing, prosecutors say the alleged victim, who is not named and lives out of state, told them that traveling to Shakopee for the trial would be a hardship because of the pandemic.

Assistant Scott County Attorney Wesley Abrahamson wrote that the woman is required to stay at home with her school-age children to help them with distance learning, and that her youngest child is at risk for severe illness if he's infected with COVID-19.

Prosecutors dropped the charges Tuesday after Judge Caroline Lennon denied their request to delay the trial.

The move ends a case that has been winding its way through Minnesota’s legal system for more than two years. The Scott County Attorney’s office first filed the charges in June 2018, but the district court proceedings were delayed while the Minnesota Court of Appeals considered what evidence jurors could hear.

Hagerman’s defense attorney had argued that the alleged victim made contradictory statements to doctors and police about the accusations against Hagerman and a later sexual assault by someone else.

A Scott County judge said that the defense could bring up the second incident at trial. But early this year, a three-judge appellate panel reversed that decision, ruling that there was no inconsistency in the woman's statement about the second attack and her allegations against Hagerman.

The appellate judges also noted in their opinion that Minnesota's rape shield law generally prohibits the defense from discussing a victim's sexual history or other allegations of assault they've made.