Motions Will be Heard in September for Johnson Sex Assault Case

Curt Johnson's lawyers today, June 17, appeared briefly in court for a pre-trial conference with the Racine County District Attorney to set up a briefing schedule leading to Sept. 23 when the court will hear motions from each side.

Curt Johnson is the billionaire heir to the SC Johnson fortune. He did not appear in court.

According the Racine County District Attorney Michael Nieskes, the defense will file a number of evidentiary motions. The prosecution will file responses and then the defense will file rebuttals.

"We have a number of deadlines for when motions and responses are due over the course of the next couple of months," he said. "The court will hear arguments from both sides and make decisions based on what has been filed and what is said during the hearing."

Neither Richards nor Hart had any comment at this time.

Johnson is accused of repeated sexual assault of the same child for having inappropriate contact with a now 15-year-old girl. According to the criminal complaint, Johnson touched and fondled the girl several times over a period of three or four years. At one point, he allegedly asked the girl to have sex with him, but she refused.

As a condition of his $500,000 cash bond, Johnson was ordered to not leave the state, and he surrendered his passport. Further, he was ordered to not have any contact with any minor female children. Johnson entered a "not guilty" plea in April and had a first status hearing on May 20.

Tracy Stier-Johnson and her children are moving to North Carolina. On May 6, a home sale of $3.4 million was recorded in a suburb of Charlotte, NC. In a letter from her attorney to Racine County District Attorney Michael Nieskes, Stier-Johnson says the stress from her husband's legal issues is prompting the move.

Johnson is the son of the late Samuel Johnson and was head of Sturtevant-based Diversey, Inc. until February. He stepped down, citing "personal reasons," and his sister, Helen Johnson-Leopold took the reins. 

On June 1, Diversey, Inc. officials announced the company was sold to Sealed Air, makers of Bubble Wrap, for $4.3 billion. Company leaders have no plans to move operations from Sturtevant.