Priest denied new trial in conviction for sexual relations with parishioner

The Minnesota Supreme Court has denied a new trial to a Roman Catholic priest convicted of third-degree criminal conduct for having sexual relations with a parishioner he was counseling.

The decision today reverses an earlier ruling from an appeals court that granted a new trial for Christopher Wenthe, who had a relationship with a young woman when he working at a St. Paul parish.

Minnesota law prohibits clergy members from having sexual contact with people who seek their counsel.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said the Supreme Court decision ensures that police and prosecutors can charge clergy who abuse their position of power to sexually prey on the vulnerable.

"There is a huge, huge power imbalance between that priest or clergy person, and that person seeking spiritual guidance and counsel," Choi said.

The high court found that religion was not "excessively entangled" in his trial, as Wenthe had argued.

But an attorney for Wenthe notes that there are still several issues in his appeal that the Supreme Court did not address. Attorney Paul Engh said those issues will be decided by the state Court of Appeals.

If that court rules against Wenthe on the other matters, Wenthe would likely try to appeal again.

That means Wenthe's case could continue for another year, Engh said.