MN prosecutor says he's not stepping down

MINNEAPOLIS - A Minnesota prosecutor accused of an improper relationship with a teenage girl says he'll stay in his job.

Cook County Attorney Tim Scannell is the subject of a restraining order this week requested by the 17-year-old girl's parents. They said Scannell is a longtime family friend who told them in September that he had fallen in love with the girl, then reneged on a promise to stay away from her.

A statement from Scannell's attorney says the prosecutor regrets the pain he's caused, but he's committed no crime and did not engage in "sexual conduct" with the teen.

Scannell became a public figure after he was wounded in a courthouse shooting in Grand Marais in December 2011 by a man he had successfully prosecuted.

 

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