March 11, 2026
Steinwand plea rejected by judge
A Morton County judge has rejected a plea deal in the case of the former North Dakota Game and Fish director charged in a child sex crime investigation.
Terry Steinwand, 72, of Mandan, formerly from Garrison, was charged with felony gross sexual imposition in September.
Steinwand and his attorney appeared before District Judge Marina Spahr last Wednesday in Morton County.
Steinwand’s lawyer and prosecutors proposed a plea deal calling for him to plead guilty to a lesser charge of misdemeanor sexual assault.
However, Judge Spahr declined to accept the plea agreement.
According to Spahr, the proposed penalties did not include adequate sex‑offender treatment for Steinwand.