Rep. Matt Grossell penalized after trespass, disorderly conduct charges

State Rep. Matt Grossell faces a fee and 16 hours of community service stemming from trespassing and disorderly conduct charges, his attorney said.

Grossell, R-Clearbrook, was charged with two misdemeanors after he was arrested in May. The case was essentially "put on hold" at a hearing Wednesday, Grossell's attorney, Ryan Garry, said.

He said after negotiations between the defense and prosecutor, they reached an agreement to have Grossell perform community service. He will also pay a $150 program fee, Garry said.

The case will remain pending for five months, Garry said, and during those months the charges are "hanging out there" but are not formally part of his record. At the end of the time period the charges will both be dismissed, Garry said.

"I think that the government realized that Mr. Grossell is an outstanding citizen," he said.

Grossell, a former sheriff's deputy, was charged in May after pushing a security guard and pulling him to the ground at a bar in the Best Western near the State Capitol, according to a police citation.

When law enforcement officers arrived and found him in his hotel room, he was unable to answer basic questions, a St. Paul police spokesman said. He was taken to Regions Hospital but refused to leave after an evaluation there and was then arrested on trespassing charges.

Jessie Van Berkel