Star Tribune
Duluth man pleads guilty to criminal sexual conduct with girls
DULUTH – With freshly selected jurors waiting nearby for the start of an expected days-long trial, a Duluth man facing criminal sexual conduct charges took a last-minute plea deal instead of facing the women he abused when they were children.
Clint Franklin Massie, 49, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning at the St. Louis County Courthouse to the four counts from incidents dating back to 2008-09 when two of his victims were young girls. The deal dismissed one of the counts against him. His sentencing is scheduled for March 20, and he could end up with more than nine years in prison. Massie, who was initially charged in February 2023 and has been out on $300,000 bail, was released until his sentencing.
In each case, the victim was known to Massie — whether they were related or through their shared membership at Old Apostolic Lutheran Church. He was friends with their parents and regarded as a fun, child-free uncle, according to reports from the investigation.
Assistant St. Louis County Attorney Michael Ryan told the court that the victims were satisfied with the deal.
“They have been involved in talking this through,” he said to Judge Dale Harris.
After Massie pleaded guilty, would-be witnesses and their supporters filed into the courtroom filling rows. Massie, dressed in a dark suit coat and khaki pants, turned to look. Ryan questioned him on the victims’ accusations — four specific scenarios where he had touched girls: during a sleepover at his house, when alone on a tractor, or beneath a blanket while others were in the room.
Massie said in court there were a lot of big gatherings and shared meals within this the group. It wasn’t unusual for one of the many children to sit on his lap.
At times Massie paused and said he couldn’t remember exact details or motives. At other times he deferred to what he told investigating officers last year. In each instance he ultimately agreed with the scenario presented by the prosecution.
Star Tribune
St. Paul Public Schools names 3 superintendent finalists
But intervention efforts are underway, board members were told.
Here’s a look at the superintendent finalists:
CEO, Fresh Energy, a St. Paul nonprofit
Education: Doctorate in organizational leadership and policy from the University of Memphis.
On the job: Started her career as a St. Paul Public Schools teacher and then held administrative positions in the Minneapolis Public Schools, Memphis City Schools and East Metro Integration District before being appointed the state education commissioner by Gov. Mark Dayton. Later, she served as superintendent of Boston Public Schools, serving 50,000 students and more than 10,000 staff members.
In the news: Cassellius came from a long line of educators, including two grandparents who were professors at a historically black college, and she faced a steep learning curve when appointed commissioner, but was up to the challenge, the Star Tribune reported in 2011.
Star Tribune
Man shot in chest during carjacking in Twin Cities alley; 5 suspects flee
Several people ambushed a Minneapolis motorist late at night in an alley, shot him in the chest and drove off with his vehicle.
The carjacking occurred about 11:25 p.m. Thursday in the 3900 Block of 11th Avenue S., according to the Minneapolis Police Department.
The critically wounded victim, a man in his 20s, was given immediate medical attention before being taken by emergency medical responders to HCMC, police added.
Five suspects, male and female, fled the scene in the man’s vehicle and possibly a second vehicle, police said. No arrests have been announced.
Star Tribune
Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the U.S.
A federal appeals court panel on Friday upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for is survival in the U.S.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law, which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January, is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform.