Several court cases involving members of the University community will continue at the Hennepin County Courthouse throughout the next two weeks.
Giezwa Andersen, one of four men accused in the robbery and rape of three University students last October, is scheduled to begin his trial March 24.
Monday, his brother Puiassance Andersen had his trial rescheduled for March 25 because of complications with the prosecuting attorney’s pregnancy.
Both men, along with another man, Antonio Burton, face several counts of aiding and abetting criminal sexual conduct for their roles in the incident. The fourth man, Victor Porter, pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary in exchange for his testimony against the other men. He will be sentenced May 5.
Burton’s trial is scheduled to begin April 7.
The men are accused of stealing a car, stereo and jewelry after breaking into the apartment of three female University students. Two of the women were raped.
Puiassance Andersen and Burton were arrested in Eau Claire, Wis., after a high-speed chase in which the two were driving the victims’ car.
They were extradited to Minnesota on Nov. 4 and are being held in Hennepin County Jail.
In addition, the civil lawsuit of Katalin Deli, a former women’s gymnastics coach at the University, is also expected to carry on through the end of March. Jury selection began Wednesday.
In Deli’s complaint, she said she voluntarily turned over a video tape made by her husband, Gabor, that showed the couple having sex. Katalin Deli said women’s athletics director Chris Voelz broke a promise that she wouldn’t view the tape. Voelz claims the promise was never made.
Katalin Deli, who coached at the University for 20 years, is suing the school for an unspecified amount of money on the grounds that she was damaged by the broken promise. Gabor Deli is also a former women’s gymnastics coach.
The couple first sued the school in 1992 after they were fired when the video tape was accidentally shown to the team during a practice. The couple claimed the University violated the Data Practices Act by discussing details of the case with local media.
A Hennepin County court ruled in favor of the University in the original suit. But the Minnesota Court of Appeals later overruled the decision in Katalin Deli’s case.
The current dispute is expected to continue throughout the next two weeks.