The State Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a Class A misdemeanor corruption of a minor charge must be vacated against Alexander Pittenger, 24, of Minot because a judge created a structural error at his trial.

Judge Stacy Louser closed the courtroom for the testimony of the minor victim, who was 17 at the time, without holding a required hearing to determine whether it was necessary. The defense objected to closing the courtroom.

Louser had refused to vacate the conviction even though both the prosecution and defense had asked that the conviction be vacated and the prosecution then wanted the case dismissed.

Pittenger was required to register as a sex offender following his conviction for having sex with the girl when he was 20 and she was 15. Vacating the conviction would remove that requirement. However, he pleaded guilty in another case in McHenry County to having sex with another underage girl and the judge ordered him to register as a sex offender in that case. The judge in McHenry County also sentenced Pittenger to five years in prison for stabbing a man in the torso in 2015. He was convicted by a jury in December and sentenced on Tuesday. Pittenger was also sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years of supervised probation on the corruption of a minor charge. His sentences on the aggravated assault charge and corruption of a minor charge in McHenry County are concurrent.