A Palmer man accused of sexual assault will not go back to trial after a jury could not reach a unanimous decision on one of the charges against him.
Rosendo Pallones, 40, was found not guilty of two out of three counts of first-degree sexual assault at the close of his trial this summer. The jury hung on the second of the three charges, and Superior Court Judge Charles Huguelet declared a mistrial on that count. The charge was dismissed by Assistant District Attorney Kelly Lawson on Wednesday, according to court records.
Pallones was accused of sexually assaulting his female coworker last July at the Snug Harbor Seafoods cannery in Kenai.
Pallones had several trial calls leading up to the dismissal, at which public defenders asked for the trial to be continued.
At a June 29 bail review hearing that followed Pallones’ trial, Defense Attorney Andy Pevehouse told the court the jury had been split 10-2 on the final sexual assault charge, according to court documents.
— Staff report
