HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 12-10 Huberty declared not guilty of criminal sexual conduct MAPLEWOOD REVIEW Huberty declared not guilty of •
criminal sexual conduct DEC 1 0 2014
Holly Wenzel conduct, wood. patients or parishioners.
Review staff Huberty had been Though the relation- The fifth-degree charge
charged with the con- ship was described as was made for an incident
Jurors in Ramsey duct after allegations consensual,Huberty was in which the woman
County District Court were made in fall 2013 charged with fourth- said Huberty,the parish
returned a verdict of that he had an ongoing degree CSC because of a priest,groped her with-
"not guilty"on Monday, sexual relationship with Minnesota law prohib- out her consent.
Dec.8,for the Rev.Mark an adult woman who iting such conduct for E-mails secured by
Huberty on a fourth- belonged to Presents- priests, psychologists, Huberty's defense law-
degree and a fifth-degree lion of the Blessed Virgin therapists and others in
count of criminal sexual Mary parish in Maple- a"counseling"role with see Huberty on page 7
Huberty/Presentation priest had been
charged for relationship with parishioner
continued from page 1 sued this so aggressively"and blamed
authorities for causing"a lot of unnec-
yer,Paul Engh,reportedly played a essary harm"to people in the Roman
large part in bolstering Huberty's case Catholic parish,including the woman
that he was pursued by the woman, who was involved.
not victimizing her. The case was prosecuted by the Hen-
Huberty,44,was put on administra- nepin County Attorney's Office,after
rive leave from Presentation in Sep- being turned over to them by Ramsey
tember 2013.According to statements County Attorney John Choi to avoid
from the Archdiocese of St.Paul and the appearance of impropriety;Choi
Minneapolis,the archdiocese'board and Huberty attended St. Thomas
of ministerial standards will now per- Academy at the same rime.
form its own internal review of the
allegations and Huberty's actions. Holly Wenzel can be reached at
Huberty offered a statement on the review @lillitep+s.r�oin yrjgt 651-748-
outcome,in which he said, "I never 7817 Ucc�� UU LL 4
understood why the prosecution pur-