Date Set For Child Sex Abuse Trial of Former Mayo Clinic Doctor
La Crosse, WI (KROC-AM News) - A trial date has been set for a former Mayo Clinic Health System physician charged with child sex abuse in Wisconsin.
A scheduling hearing was held today for 41-year-old Joseph Poterucha in La Crosse County Court and the judge in the case selected July 10 for the beginning of the jury selection process. Court records indicate Wisconsin prosecutors anticipate the trial would take 3 or days before the case could be handed over to the jury for deliberations.
The Rochester man faces three counts of first-degree child sex assault involving a person under the age of 13. He is accused of having sexual contact with three young girls. It is alleged the most recent incident occurred in October 2021 when Poterucha is accused of threatening to harm the child if she reported the alleged sexual abuse. The two other cases involve alleged incidents that occurred in October 2019.
Poterucha was employed as a physician with the Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse at the time, but none of the alleged sexual assaults occurred on Mayo Clinic property. After the charges were filed against him, Mayo Clinic placed Poterucha on paid leave while it conducted an investigation. He is no longer employed by Mayo Clinic.