Jury acquits former Stillwater cop of groping charge

Article by: KEVIN GILES , Star Tribune
Updated: October 29, 2009 - 8:20 PM

Scott Geving, accused of groping a motel clerk while in uniform, faces another trial in January on a similar charge.

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A former Stillwater police officer accused of the attempted sexual assault of a motel night clerk while he was in uniform was acquitted Thursday in a jury trial.

Scott Gerald Geving, 50, of Marine on St. Croix, was found not guilty of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony, and a related gross misdemeanor in an incident involving the female clerk at a Stillwater motel in August 2008. The verdict came at the end of a three-day trial before Judge Michael Roith.

Two other gross misdemeanor charges had been dismissed.

"We're happy that justice was done," said defense attorney Earl Gray. "The jury was out a very short time."

Geving left his police job in May.

Gray also will represent Geving in another trial, starting in January, involving a second woman who contacted police after reading of the first case. The second woman alleged that Geving had stopped her on suspicion of drunken driving in 2006 but let her go even after she failed a preliminary breath test.

A criminal complaint filed in the case alleges that Geving, while in uniform and driving a squad car, began a series of visits to a Stillwater bed and breakfast where she worked and later to her house. In one instance he forced physical contact and touched one of her breasts, the complaint said.

In that case, which Assistant Dakota County Attorney Larry Clark will prosecute, Geving is charged with one count of pattern of harassing conduct, a felony, and three gross misdemeanors for stalking and criminal sexual conduct in the fifth degree.

To avoid a potential conflict of interest because of Geving's law enforcement background in Washington County, this week's trial was prosecuted by a Dakota County attorney, Phillip Prokopowicz.

Kevin Giles • 612-673-4432