FARGO – A state prosecutor has filed a motion to dismiss the case against Aaron Knodel, the 2014 North Dakota Teacher of the Year accused of having sex with a student.
The case was headed toward a second trial later this month after Knodel’s first trial in April ended with a judgment of not guilty on three felony counts and a mistrial on another two counts.
The state of North Dakota earlier this month asked Cass County District Court Judge Steven McCullough to delay the second trial. The judge last week denied the request.
Meanwhile, fellow teachers announced they would set up a fund to support Knodel, a highly decorated West Fargo High School English teacher and academic coach.
Read more in the Fargo Forum.Fargo Forum
It has been interesting to see how this story unfolded. Unfortunately, many times people are charged based on one side of the story. Not every case is what it is portrayed to be in the media and far too often cases are “tried” in the traditional media and on social media where people do not have all the facts, there are no rules of evidence, and Constitutional safeguards are not provided. More often than not, the only information avalable to a reporter is an affidavit supporting a complaint or testimony at a preliminary hearing which usually only presents a single side of the story.
While there are many cases where a crime has in fact been committed, there are those where people are wrongfully accused. If you find yourself in that position please give me a call at our office. I’ll fight to make sure your side of the story gets told.
