Judge Tosses Guilty Verdict for St. Cloud Man in Sex Assault Case

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A Stearns County judge has vacated the guilty verdict against a St. Cloud man after learning one of the jurors failed to disclose they were a victim of sexual assault.

Fifty-five-year-old Marquell Goree was convicted on a 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct charge in April.

The judge vacated the conviction after learning from a member of the jury that another juror answered dishonestly about whether she was a victim of sexual assault, was moved by partiality, and that if the true facts were known, it would have supported striking the juror for cause.

The court concluded that Goree was denied an impartial jury and is entitled to a new trial. A new five-day jury trial is now scheduled to begin on August 17th.

Goree is accused of kidnapping and raping a homeless woman he had hired as a housekeeper.

A second case accusing Goree of a similar incident in 2015 is still making its way through the court system.