Prosecutors dropped a second-degree sexual assault charge against Milwaukee Firefighter Michael Peden on Thursday.
Peden and his attorney showed up at the Milwaukee County courthouse for a final pre-trial hearing and learned the state was dismissing the case against Peden. "We're happy he's been cleared of these charges," Peden's attorney Rebecca Coffee said.
Prosecutors charged Peden with second-degree sexual assault in 2017 after a fellow firefighter came forward alleging Peden made racist and sexist comments and groped her inside Engine 26 at 1140 S. 26th Street, where they both worked.
Peden's attorney claimed the case took a turn when she finally received access to the state's witness list and was able to conduct her own interviews.
"They corroborated what we already knew, which was that Mr. Peden did none of the things the complaining witness alleged, from making racist, sexist comments to assault," Coffee said.