Faribault attorney appears in Dodge County on criminal sexual conduct charge

(ABC 6 News) – A practicing Faribault attorney’s criminal sexual conduct case has been moved into Dodge County to avoid a trial by his former coworkers.

According to court documents filed in early August, Stephen R. Ecker faces a charge of 5th-degree criminal sexual conduct–nonconsensual sexual conduct and a charge of disorderly conduct allegedly dating back to March of this year.

The Rice County Sheriff’s Office allegedly spoke to a woman who said Ecker had groped her while the two were seated at a table, then allegedly followed her and a friend to a second location and continued to grab and touch her in a way that made her uncomfortable.

“Mr. Ecker worked for many years as a public defender in the Third Judicial District. He continues to live and practice in Rice County,” Rice County communications coordinator Suzy Rook said.

Rice County referred the case to the Nicollet County Attorney’s Office, which assigned the case to judge Debra A. Groehler in Dodge County.

Nicollet attorney Daniel Robert Green is listed as the State of Minnesota’s representative.

Ecker is scheduled to appear in Dodge County Court for a pretrial hearing Dec. 20.