Former Minnesota state senator Justin Eichorn will not be facing a federal jury next month after all. His trial on a federal charge tied to an undercover child-prostitution sting has been pushed to June 1, after his defense team flagged scheduling conflicts and asked for more prep time. Eichorn has pleaded not guilty to one federal count of attempted enticement of a minor, and the delay nudges the high-profile case further down an already crowded federal calendar.
Judge Grants Defense Continuance
According to KSTP, court filings show Eichorn’s lawyers asked the judge to move the trial because of conflicts on their schedules, and the court signed off on a new June 1 start date. The outlet reports that the postponement follows a run of pretrial motions and calendar skirmishes, and that the continuance gives both prosecutors and the defense extra time to get their cases in order before a jury is seated.
How Prosecutors Say The Case Unfolded
Federal prosecutors say Eichorn traded messages with an undercover detective who, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office press release, was posing online as a 17-year-old and arranging a meet-up for paid sex. The Justice Department’s statement says the conversations began in mid-March 2025 and that officers later found cash and a condom in Eichorn’s vehicle in Bloomington when they moved in to arrest him. The department charged him with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and framed the sting as part of a broader effort to intercept suspected predators before any child is directly harmed.
Pretrial Fights And Where The Case Stands
Eichorn entered a not guilty plea in April and resigned from the Minnesota Senate in March 2025, according to The Associated Press. His bid to have the federal charge tossed was rejected, and most of his motions to suppress evidence have also been denied, KSTP reported. For a deeper look at the original sting operation and the criminal complaint, see Eichorn charged in FBI sting.
Legal Stakes
The charge under 18 U.S.C. a7 2422, as outlined by Cornell Law School, carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years. Eichorn is presumed innocent as the case heads toward trial, and the court is expected to add new docket entries in the coming weeks that will firm up the remaining deadlines leading up to the June 1 start date.
