Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A new trial has been scheduled in the case of a Rochester man who was sent to prison for shooting a teenage boy.

Sixty-nine-year-old Steven Hart was found guilty of first- and second-degree assault charges during a trial in Olmsted County in October 2023. His convictions stemmed from a shooting that occurred in March 2022 during a confrontation in the backyard of his southeast Rochester home.

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The initial police reports on the incident indicated a 15-year-old boy had been shot in the leg, but the criminal complaint filed against Hart stated that the bullet struck the teenager in the testicles. The court document also included a statement from an Olmsted County Sheriff's Deputy who reported seeing several teenagers running and that he could tell one of them had been "shot in the groin" and appeared to be in immense pain.

According to the charges, the wounded teenager admitted he pulled out a knife during the confrontation with Hart, who testified that the 15-year-old charged at him with the weapon. Hart also emphasized that he was the person who called 911 and told the dispatcher that he was the shooter.

The Wounded Teenager Was Found Near a Southeast Rochester Bus Stop

Hart was given a 7½-year prison sentence but appealed his convictions. His attorney told the Minnesota Court of Appeals that the judge presiding over the trial abused her discretion by excluding the testimony of a defense expert witness called to support his claims of self-defense. The appeals court agreed and granted Hart a new trial.

READ MORE: Appeals Court Orders New Trial in Rochester Shooting Case

According to Olmsted County Court records, Hart's second trial on the first and second-degree assault charges is scheduled to begin in mid-March of next year. His attorney has filed documents indicating he intends to again argue that his actions were in self-defense.