Lakeville Father Found Guilty of Child Neglect

A Dakota County jury found 60-year-old Steven Alexander Cross guilty of child neglect today in connection with an incident in which he  and left him with neighbors, John and Joanne Pahl. 

Dakota County District Court Judge Robert R. King, Jr., delayed sentencing of Cross on Wednesday to allow time for a pre-sentence investigation and the completion of a victim impact statement from the boy Cross abandoned.

King instead scheduled Cross's sentencing for 10 a.m. on March 20.

After the jury left the courtroom, defense attorney John Price III based on a lack of evidence to prove the child was harmed.

"I respectfully request the court to take the verdict from the jury to take the emotion out of it," Price argued, to no avail.

While appreciating Price's position, King argued the jury could indeed apply circumstantial evidence to whether the boy was harmed. 

"The evidence seems to indicate a lot of love between Mr. Cross and his son. Unfortunately, the greater the love, the greater the emotional harm," the judge said.

Price—who tried the case pro bono after Cross was accused—said he was "disheartened" by the jury's verdict. 

"Had Mr. Cross walked his child down to the Pahl's house and handed him over to the family, there would have been no crime. So I'm confused why or how the jury could have seen (the case) any other way," Price told reporters after leaving the courtroom. 

Price continued: "The world was crashing down on (Cross); he had nowhere to go. So he brought the boy to a family member—Mrs. Pahl testified she was family to the boy." 

Price also blamed the verdict on the jury's inability to separate emotion from the legal arguments.

"This has always been about emotion. If (the jury) had followed the law, they wouldn't have convicted him. The evidence just wasn't there," Price said.

A tearful Steven Cross weighed in on the verdict. 

"Of course I'm disappointed. I love my son. I did what I thought was best that day to make sure that he was safe," he said.

"I wouldn't wish this on anyone because he's such a good boy, I love him so much and we had such a great relationship. I did the best I could, in every way shape and form. I wasn't thinking about myself, I was only thinking about my son." 

The gross misdemeanor charge carries with it a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, but both Cross and his attorneys were confident he would be sentenced to only probation.

Cross is still embroiled in a CHINPS (Child In Need of Protective Services) case that will ultimately decide whether or not he will be reunited with his son.

The CHINPS petition is scheduled to be heard on Feb. 22.