Gable Steveson and Dylan Martinez are still under suspension after 90 days of investigation for sexual assault. Many of these cases get resolved by 90 days, but this one has not yet. Gable and Dylan have enrolled, so they could become eligible for the beginning of the season if their case gets finalized in the next month or so.
Both wrestlers were initially arrested by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and then they were not charged. I've heard that some of the difficulty in getting resolution here is that the accuser is not cooperating with the county attorney and has not pressed charges. And, even if there are no charges filed, the wrestlers could still face internal discipline from the U of M Athletic Department's Code of Conduct.
Wrestling practice starts on Oct. 10th and our first event is a dual meet vs. Cal State-Bakersfield at Maturi Pavilion on Friday Nov. 1st.
It's just not clear how this will turn out. If no charges are filed, I'd be in favor of some strong discipline, so they can learn an important lesson and participate again in the future. As it seems like they did do something very bad / illegal / completely unacceptable to the victim, maybe they will end up with at least a 1/2 to full 2019/2020 season suspension. I'm not a lawyer, so I can't speculate more than this. We'll just have to wait and see.
Here's the article from the Strib:
Criminal investigation remains incomplete in case of Gophers wrestlers
Rochelle Olson
Star Tribune
Sept. 17, 2019
Three months after their arrests on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct, two Gophers wrestlers await word from the Hennepin County attorney’s office on whether they will be charged. But as of Monday, a spokesman for Hennepin County Attorney Freeman said, “The case is still under active investigation.”
The men were arrested and booked into the jail on June 15. They were released without being charged. At the time, Freeman’s office said it would take 90 days to review the evidence against Gable Steveson, 19, and Gophers teammate Dylan Martinez, 21.
Despite hitting the 90-day self-imposed deadline, the county attorney’s office provided no further information on when a decision would be forthcoming. Spokesman Chuck Laszewski said 90 days is a way for the office to track a case once it has been returned to the police for additional investigation. “Some of those take less than 90, others can take more,” the spokesman said.
The wrestling season is set to begin Nov. 1, with the Gophers starting practice Oct. 10, but Steveson and Martinez remain off the team.
The University of Minnesota athletic department said two wrestlers were suspended in June under the student-athlete code of conduct. The code reads that athletes arrested for, charged with, or under investigation for criminal allegations will be suspended from their team pending resolution of the investigation or at the discretion of the athletic director. They can also face additional sanctions ranging from verbal reprimands to dismissal.
Steveson is the team’s star wrestler and a contender for the Olympics next summer. His lawyer, Christa Groshek, has previously said Steveson would cooperate with the investigation and that he maintains his innocence.
Steveson was a top recruit from Apple Valley when he came to the U. In his freshman season, he scored 35 victories and finished third at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Martinez has two years of eligibility remaining with the U after not wrestling last year.
A Minneapolis police report said the two sexually penetrated the woman with an object and that she received treatment at a hospital.
Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747
Both wrestlers were initially arrested by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and then they were not charged. I've heard that some of the difficulty in getting resolution here is that the accuser is not cooperating with the county attorney and has not pressed charges. And, even if there are no charges filed, the wrestlers could still face internal discipline from the U of M Athletic Department's Code of Conduct.
Wrestling practice starts on Oct. 10th and our first event is a dual meet vs. Cal State-Bakersfield at Maturi Pavilion on Friday Nov. 1st.
It's just not clear how this will turn out. If no charges are filed, I'd be in favor of some strong discipline, so they can learn an important lesson and participate again in the future. As it seems like they did do something very bad / illegal / completely unacceptable to the victim, maybe they will end up with at least a 1/2 to full 2019/2020 season suspension. I'm not a lawyer, so I can't speculate more than this. We'll just have to wait and see.
Here's the article from the Strib:
Criminal investigation remains incomplete in case of Gophers wrestlers
Rochelle Olson
Star Tribune
Sept. 17, 2019
Three months after their arrests on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct, two Gophers wrestlers await word from the Hennepin County attorney’s office on whether they will be charged. But as of Monday, a spokesman for Hennepin County Attorney Freeman said, “The case is still under active investigation.”
The men were arrested and booked into the jail on June 15. They were released without being charged. At the time, Freeman’s office said it would take 90 days to review the evidence against Gable Steveson, 19, and Gophers teammate Dylan Martinez, 21.
Despite hitting the 90-day self-imposed deadline, the county attorney’s office provided no further information on when a decision would be forthcoming. Spokesman Chuck Laszewski said 90 days is a way for the office to track a case once it has been returned to the police for additional investigation. “Some of those take less than 90, others can take more,” the spokesman said.
The wrestling season is set to begin Nov. 1, with the Gophers starting practice Oct. 10, but Steveson and Martinez remain off the team.
The University of Minnesota athletic department said two wrestlers were suspended in June under the student-athlete code of conduct. The code reads that athletes arrested for, charged with, or under investigation for criminal allegations will be suspended from their team pending resolution of the investigation or at the discretion of the athletic director. They can also face additional sanctions ranging from verbal reprimands to dismissal.
Steveson is the team’s star wrestler and a contender for the Olympics next summer. His lawyer, Christa Groshek, has previously said Steveson would cooperate with the investigation and that he maintains his innocence.
Steveson was a top recruit from Apple Valley when he came to the U. In his freshman season, he scored 35 victories and finished third at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Martinez has two years of eligibility remaining with the U after not wrestling last year.
A Minneapolis police report said the two sexually penetrated the woman with an object and that she received treatment at a hospital.
Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747
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