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When speaking to the media, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman hinted that alcohol may have been involved. He also stated that under Minnesota’s current laws at the time on intoxication and a victim’s ability to give consent, Hennepin County Attorney’s Office “would restricted in how it could bring charges in the case”. He later went one to state that “In neighboring Wisconsin, Freeman said, prosecutors have broad discretion to charge suspects who know or should know that someone's alcohol consumption can impair his or her ability to give consent. He said he and others have pushed Minnesota lawmakers to pass similar legislation but have been unsuccessful so far.”
What exactly is this law you ask? Well in Minnesota: a person who is sexually assaulted while intoxicated isn't considered "mentally incapacitated" if he or she consumed alcohol or drugs voluntarily.
In laymen’s terms, if a person drank themselves to a point where they could not consent to sexual acts, they were not considered too impaired to have done so. This was a contentious topic which sparked protests in Minnesota. On June 30th, 2021, this loophole which might have helped Steveson avoid charges, was repealed by Minnesota law makers.
