Rape charges dismissed
A 30-count indictment filed last February against a Lake Township man has been dismissed by the Wood County prosecutor’s office.
Steven M. Finch, 48, had been charged with the kidnapping, felonious assault, and rape of his wife between Aug. 1, 2019 and Nov. 30, 2020 but the prosecutor’s office last week requested the charges be dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be reinstated.
“We take our job and our charging decisions very seriously,” said Paul Dobson, county prosecutor’s office. “Sometimes the protection of the public or of an individual means that we must move on the substantial information that we have at the time. However, we also recognize that our job is not merely to convict people, but to bring adequate evidence to ensure a just outcome.
“That obligation doesn’t stop at indictment. Occasionally, information comes to us after indictment which requires us to deeply reassess our case. That is the situation here. In these situations, prosecutors re-evaluate whether we will be able to meet our heavy burden of proving a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Sometime that means we must dismiss charges. They will remain dismissed unless we discover evidence to counter the hurdles which have arisen in the case.”
Three counts of rape, each with a sexually violent predator specification, against Finch will remain in place. Those charges stem from alleged rapes of a different victim, Dobson said.
Each rape offense is a first degree felony and carries a prison term upon conviction of 11 to 15 ½ years. The specifications include additional prison time that could include a life sentence.