Former state trooper granted new CSC trial
A former Michigan State Police trooper has been granted a new trial on criminal sexual conduct charges.
The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that David Morikawa received ineffective assistance of counsel at his July 2011 trial. Morikawa was convicted in the Iron County Trial Court of two counts of second-degree CSC involving a victim under the age of 13.
The appellate judges have overturned his guilty verdict and have remanded the case back to Iron County for a new trial.
The Michigan Attorney General’s office has the right to appeal this ruling to the state Supreme Court. Iron County Trial Court staff members say they will not schedule any new court dates for Morikawa until a decision about whether or not to appeal the ruling has been made.
Morikawa was once a trooper at the now-closed Iron River Post. The incident that led to the charges against him took place in the summer of 2009.
Morikawa was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 20 months to 15 years in prison. He has completed that sentence and is currently on parole.