Nation : Retrial Ordered in Assault Case
A judge today ordered a new trial for a man convicted of sexually assaulting a woman with 46 personalities.
Mark A. Peterson, 29, was convicted last month by a jury of second-degree sexual assault. Prosecutors argued that he manipulated the woman’s mental illness, called multiple personality disorder, to have sex with her.
Under Wisconsin law, mentally ill people who cannot understand the consequences of their actions cannot consent to sex.
Winnebago County Circuit Judge Robert Hawley today ordered a new trial. Winnebago County Dist. Atty. Joseph Paulus agreed with a defense attorney that a new trial was necessary in part because a defense psychiatrist was not allowed to examine the woman prior to trial.
Paulus said he has not decided if he will seek another trial.
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