Wake DA not pursuing charges against former Raleigh council member ‘at this time’
The Wake County District Attorney’s Office is not pursuing criminal charges against former Raleigh City Council member Saige Martin.
“At this time, we are not moving forward with a criminal investigation against Mr. Martin for sexual assault,” District Attorney Lorrin Freeman announced in an email Monday.
“Efforts to reach individuals who reported sexual allegations publicly in the media have not provided sufficient information to proceed,” she stated. “We respect all sexual assault victims’ decisions on whether to participate in the criminal justice process.”
Martin resigned from the City Council shortly after The News & Observer published detailed accounts of four men who accused Martin of sexual misconduct, which Martin mostly denies. Two of the men accused Martin of sexual assault which he denies.
Freeman asked the N.C. State Bureau of Investigations to review the allegations made against Martin.
“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,” Freeman said in a previous interview. “And we respect whatever decision these individuals make regarding that.”
She also previously 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.”
The Raleigh City Council will pick Martin’s replacement during a special meeting Tuesday at 4 p.m.
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 1:53 PM.
