Wake DA asks SBI to review allegations against former Raleigh City Council member
The Wake County district attorney has asked the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation to review the sexual-misconduct allegations against former Raleigh City Council member Saige Martin.
Martin resigned Friday after The News & Observer reported four men’s detailed accusations of sexual misconduct against him. Two said Martin sexually assaulted them.
Martin mostly disputes the misconduct allegations and denies the assaults, The N&O reported.
“The allegations against former Raleigh City Council member Saige Martin as reported in the News and Observer will be reviewed by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation at my request,” District Attorney Lorrin Freeman wrote in a statement emailed to The N&O on Monday evening.
“Based on that review, and efforts to speak with those individuals who have come forward to report these acts, a decision will be made on whether to open a criminal investigation,” Freeman stated.
None of the four accusers has filed a police report, The N&O previously reported.
SBI review could take 10 days
The review could take 10 days, Freeman said in an interview with The N&O Tuesday. Once it is complete, the DA’s Office will announce whether it is pursuing criminal charges, she said.
“The decision of whether to pursue a criminal investigation and prosecution and report a sexual assault to law enforcement is a highly personal decision for a sexual-assault victim,” she said. “And we respect whatever decision these individuals make regarding that.”
Out of respect, Freeman said, the DA’s office will likely not say when it announces its decision whether Martin’s accusers chose not to pursue charges.
“If victims wish not to participate in a criminal investigation or criminal prosecution and there are not others who come forward, then it would be our goal to make them aware of what victims’ services exist and to attempt to keep that door open if they at some point change their mind,” Freeman said. “But we would not be moving forward at this time.”
People who may not feel comfortable pursuing a criminal charge at one time may change their mind at another time, she said.
“I think one of the things that certainly is concerning about these particular allegations, at least based on what has been made public, is there appears to be multiple incidents,” Freeman said. “And I think it, at least, creates the possibility that there have been other victims or could be other victims if these allegations bear out.”
Avoiding possible police bias
The N&O sent a text message to Martin seeking comment but had not heard back as of 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The DA’s Office notified the Raleigh Police Department that the SBI would review the case, Freeman said.
“In this particular situation, I made the determination that in order to avoid any appearance of bias or impropriety that I believed it was best for the State Bureau of Investigation to review this particular matter,” Freeman said.
The City Council oversees the Police Department’s budget and Martin recently criticized the police response to local protests after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The Raleigh City Council will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday to outline the process for selecting a new council member to represent southwest Raleigh.
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 6:57 PM.
