Jury acquits New Era man of CSC charges

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor

HART — A jury rendered a not guilty verdict for a 38-year-old New Era man who was accused of three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in Oceana County’s 51st Circuit Court Thursday, Sept. 12.

Erick Omar Cano was accused of sexually assaulting a female victim three separate times when she was 10, 11, and 12 years old, said defense attorney Terry Nolan, who was retained to represent Cano.

“The defendant denied that the allegations occurred, and reasons were put forth that the jury accepted,” said Nolan. The jury deliberated for approximately one hour before returning with the verdict, he said. The trial was set for three days, but ended up lasting one and a half days.

“I am really happy for Erick, because I have always believed in his innocence.” Cano had no prior criminal record, he added.

“This came to light in January of 2023, so this has been going on for over 18 months for him.” Cano has been free on a $100,000 personal recognizance bond following his arrest last October.

The defendant, the victim who is now 16 years old and two other witnesses took the stand, said Nolan. Judge Susan K. Sniegowski presided over the case.

The jury included eight women and four men, said Nolan.

“Our hearts break for the victim,” Oceana County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Bizon. “We know how difficult this is for victims to go through. We knew from day one this would be a difficult trial, and this was a possible outcome. Ultimately, it is a decision for the jury as the finder of fact, and we respect this process. This jury did not believe that the case was proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is a prime example of why we pursue negotiated settlements (plea deals) in cases like this. It is in the interests of justice and the victim to obtain certainty and finality in their outcomes when possible. Unfortunately, such an outcome was never possible or available in this case. The Oceana County Prosecutor’s office will continue to advocate and work for victims.”

The maximum penalty for a second-degree CSC conviction in Michigan is 15 years in prison.

__________________________________

Please Support Local News

Receive daily MCP and OCP news briefings along with email news alerts for $10 a month. Your contribution will help us to continue to provide you with free local news.

The easiest way is to sign up for an automatic monthly payment on Paypal. Click this link.
Alternative methods:
We can send you an invoice for a yearly payment of $120, which you can conveniently pay online or by check. If you are interested in this method, please email editor@mediagroup31.com and we can sign you up. You can also mail a yearly check for $120 to Media Group 31, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454 (please include your email address).
We appreciate all our readers regardless of whether they choose to continue to access our service for free or with a monthly financial support.
If you would like to support MCP/OCP but do not wish to receive daily emails, please consider sending a contribution to any of the above methods or pay by Venmo (@masoncountypress).

_____
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2024, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.
As the services of Media Group 31, LLC are news services, the information posted within the sites are archivable for public record and historical posterity. For this reason it is the policy and practice of this company to not delete postings. It is the editor’s discretion to update or edit a story when/if new information becomes available. This may be done by editing the posted story or posting a new “follow-up” story. Media Group 31, LLC or any of its agents have the right to make any changes to this policy. Refer to Use Policy for more information.
Please consider helping to fund local news. Mason County Press and Oceana County Press are available for free thanks to the generous support of our advertisers and individuals. Three ways to help us: Venmo: @MasonCountyPress; Paypal: MasonCountyPress@gmail.com; Mail a check to PO BOX 21, Scottville, MI 49454.
fb.com/stars