St. Cloud Rape Case Headed to Retrial Over Jury Misconduct

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A St. Cloud man is scheduled to go back on trial this week for raping a woman he had hired as a housekeeper.

Stearns County Judge Throws Out Verdict

Fifty-six-year-old Marquee Goree is standing trial again after a judge vacated his guilty verdict last June.

Judge Rules Juror Misconduct Altered the Trial's Outcome

The judge threw out the verdict after a juror failed to disclose that they were a victim of sexual assault. 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.

Goree Denied Fair Trial

The court concluded that Goree was denied an impartial jury and is entitled to a new trial.

New Trial Scheduled to Last All Week

The court has set aside four days for Goree's new trial. He is accused of kidnapping and raping a homeless woman he had hired as a housekeeper last December.

A Second Allegation Looms

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