In wake of Minnesota Supreme Court ruling, lawmakers take up changes to sexual assault laws

A Minnesota Senate committee on Wednesday will discuss possible changes to the state’s sexual assault laws.

This comes after a recent state Supreme Court ruling overturned a 2019 rape conviction. Prosecutors in that case say the female victim consumed several shots of vodka and a prescription narcotic before she was assaulted. The Supreme Court ruled that because the woman consumed those substances voluntarily, rather than against her will, the state’s legal definition of “mentally incapacitated” could not apply.

Survivors of sexual assault are now urging Minnesota lawmakers to close what they see as a major loophole in state law. MPR News guest host Phil Picardi talked with state Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, for more on the issue.

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