Crime & Safety

Attorneys Rest in Case Against Lakeville Father

Steven Cross's defense attorney argued that the neighbors with whom he left his 11-year-old son were essentially the boy's surrogate family.

Attorneys for the prosecution and defense have rested in the case against 60-year-old Steven Alexander Cross, the , and leaving him with neighbors John and Joanne Pahl. 

Closing arguments will be heard first thing tomorrow morning but, for both sides, the outcome of the case seems to hinge on the way in which the jury interprets the child neglect charge against Cross. 

The statute reads: 

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"A parent, legal guardian, or caretaker who willfully deprives a child of necessary food, clothing, shelter, health care, or supervision appropriate to the child's age, when the parent, guardian, or caretaker is reasonably able to make the necessary provisions and the deprivation harms or is likely to substantially harm the child's physical, mental, or emotional health is guilty of neglect of a child..." 

Cross's defense attorney, John Price, III, made a motion for acquittal Tuesday afternoon, arguing the State provided no evidence to show deprivation causing harm or even a likelihood to cause harm to the boy whom Patch has declined to name.  

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"The State's own witness (Joanne Pahl) testified (the boy) was fine; he ate, slept, waterskiied, did chores and continued being a kid (in the absence of his father)," Price argued. 

While Price is not the first defense attorney to argue his client's innocence, testimony from Joanne Pahl suggests he might have a legitimate argument. 

"(The child) was a family member. Even when things would get crazy and I'd tell the kids 'no friends allowed', everyone knew (the boy) could come. He was one of us. He was always part of our family," Pahl testified.

Price also pointed to the fact that Cross' son had chores in the Pahl household—prior to the incident in question—as evidence of the close connection between the 11-year-old and the Pahl family.

When Joanne Pahl was asked if she thought of herself as a surrogate mother to the boy, she replied "Yes." 

Dakota County prosecutor Nicole Nee argued, on the other hand, Steven Cross "took a gamble" when he left his 11-year-old son to the Pahl family with only a handwritten note to explain his actions.

"(The boy) could not drive. He could not be employed ... the defendant did not ask Mrs. Pahl before leaving and sending the boy to her home. It was all a gamble," Nee argued.

She concluded: "(He) is quite a young man. He was resilient, maybe he had a reason to be resilient, but that does not mean (Cross) didn't harm the boy when he left him."

Neither Cross or his son testified before the jury. Closing arguments begin Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.

Patch will follow developments tomorrow as well.


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