Mateen Cleaves’ Sexual Assault Charges Have Been Revived

Back in December of 2016 a Flint district judge dismissed the sexual assault charges looming over former MSU basketball star Mateen Cleaves. Now, those charges have been reinstated by another judge's order.

Judge Archie L. Hayman of the Genessee County Circuit reinstated the charges on Monday stemming from an incident that played out in a Flint-area motel in 2015. This overwrote the decision handed down by Judge Cathy Dowd (Flint 67th district) who dismissed the charges on grounds of not enough probable cause to send to a trial.

Cleaves' attorney, Frank Manley, told the Free Press on Monday, "this case has been ripe with sensationalism and a real lack of investigation. I feel like my client is the victim in this case — of a system that has gotten out of control"

Manley later commented how the second judge (Hayman) reversed Dowd's decision without hearing the testimony from the woman in question that is pressing charges against Cleaves. Dowd cited her testimony as a key factor in the decision to dismiss saying "there are a number of factors that lead me to believe something else could be going on."

Cleaves is currently charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of unlawful imprisonment, and one count of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration and second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

No new court dates have been set yet in the Cleaves case and an appeal to attempt to overturn Judge Hayman's decision is still an option for Cleaves' defense team.