Mitchell baseball coach acquitted in sexual assault incident; charge dropped against board member

The Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office says the cases involving two members of the Mitchell Baseball Association Board have concluded.

Six players were charged with rape. All six have pleaded not guilty and their cases are pending.

The two adults were charged for not reporting the incident that occurred in Pennington County.

Luke Norden, who was the team’s coach at the time of the incidents, was acquitted by First Circuit Magistrate Judge Donna Bucher of all four counts against him. He had been charged with two counts of Failure to Report Abuse or Neglect of a Child and two counts of Misprision of a Felony.

Judge Bucher dismissed the charge against former MBA board member, Jeremy Borgan, who was facing a misdemeanor charge of Failure to Report Abuse or Neglect of a Child. The judge was critical of the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office, citing them for “selective prosecution” and failing to meet the burden of proof necessary for a conviction.

Deputy States Attorney Roxanne Hammond believes the state’s mandatory reporting law should have applied to the men.

April 18, 2024