Category: Justice

Crime, Justice2 Comments
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Judge holds Iowa Department of Corrections in contempt for violating order

Gary Dickson

The Iowa Department of Corrections was fined $1,500 for contempt of court after violating a judge’s order on inmate access to adult materials. The inmates’ lawsuit alleged denial of access to content with nudity or sexual explicitness. The DOC’s actions were deemed willful, resulting in multiple violations of the court order. (Word count: 50) Continue reading Judge holds Iowa Department of Corrections in contempt for violating order

Commentary, Justice3 Comments
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The media should shut up about the Trump jurors

Gary Dickson

I was astounded Tuesday evening when I turned on CNN and saw anchors and analysts revealing details about the seven jurors picked so far in the first criminal trial of Donald Trump.

There weren’t any names or faces revealed, but many other facts were. At the risk of compounding the error, but citing one example to make the point, here’s how CNN described a juror.

“The third seated juror is a corporate lawyer. He’s originally from Oregon. He gets his news from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Google. He’s a younger man who’s never been married and doesn’t have kids.” Continue reading The media should shut up about the Trump jurors

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Union County Court: 3/25 – 4/12/2024

Gary Dickson

As the band Emerson, Lake and Palmer sang in their 1973 classic tune, Karn Evil 9:

“Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We’re so glad you could attend,
Come inside, come inside . . . ”

So too, the words might be said about the regular case dispositions by our county/state judiciary system. Following are three weeks’ worth of cases that have been disposed of in the Union County courts. They include everything from traffic to trucking/transportation to criminal cases to fishing without a license. Continue reading Union County Court: 3/25 – 4/12/2024

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Sioux Center police officer forced to quit after domestic abuse arrest

Gary Dickson

A Sioux Center police officer who was forced to resign after a domestic abuse arrest — a charge that was later dismissed — and a failed psychological test is entitled to unemployment benefits, a judge has ruled.

According to state records, Steve S. Topete began working for the City of Sioux Center as a full-time police officer in June 2023. When he was hired, he was required to take and pass the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory test, which is a 600-question survey designed to measure an individual’s integrity, character and suitability as a law enforcement officer, with the answers reviewed by a psychologist. All certified law enforcement officers in Iowa are required to take the test. Continue reading Sioux Center police officer forced to quit after domestic abuse arrest

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Texas couple convicted of theft of $500,000 from S.D. man

Gary Dickson

According to a press release from the South Dakota Attorney General’s office today, Attorney General Marty Jackley has announced that a Texas couple has been convicted of a combined six charges in connection with stealing or attempting to steal the property of another person.

A Bon Homme County jury Wednesday convicted Richard Spry, 82, of two felony counts of Grand Theft and one felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Grand Theft. Susan Spry, 75, was convicted of separate felony counts of Grand Theft and Conspiracy to Commit Grand Theft as well as one misdemeanor count of Theft by Exploitation. Both individuals are from League City, Texas. Continue reading Texas couple convicted of theft of $500,000 from S.D. man

Healthcare, Iowa, Justice2 Comments
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State-certified caregiver charged with sexual exploitation of a minor

Gary Dickson

A state-certified caregiver has been arrested and charged with sexually exploiting a minor while employed by an Iowa nursing home.

The most recent case, and the only one in which criminal charges have been filed, involves Guider’s employment at the Pleasantview Home in Kalona.

Over the past 12 months, Martell Guider, a 36-year-old male certified nursing assistant, has been the subject of complaints regarding a series of alleged incidents involving sexual impropriety at three Iowa nursing homes located in Audubon, Correctionville and Kalona. Continue reading State-certified caregiver charged with sexual exploitation of a minor

Crime, Government, Justice, South Dakota1 Comment
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Union County Court: 3/11 – 3/22/24

Gary Dickson

Following are two weeks worth of cases that have been disposed in the Union County courts. They include everything from traffic to trucking/transportation to criminal cases.

Included is a guide to one case that looks on the surface as if it has a high number of charges. But everything is not always as it appears at first glance.

There are also a couple of high fine amounts for truckers in this round of court activities. How high can they go? Continue reading Union County Court: 3/11 – 3/22/24

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State Supreme Court considers whether local boards have to explain their decisions

Gary Dickson

When Turner County commissioners refused to allow a developer to rezone land from ag to lakefront residential in the summer of 2022, they did so without saying why.

There was no recording of the meetings at which two separate votes took place, and commissioners later told the developer they needn’t say why.

When Circuit Judge David Knoff overturned that decision the following year, he also did so without considering the why.

Instead, he ruled, the commission was wrong because it shouldn’t have been debating the question anyway. The land is on a lake, Knoff said, so under his reading of county zoning rules, the commission didn’t have the discretion to say no – an argument the developer hadn’t made in open court or legal briefs.

That sequence of events led the justices to grapple on Tuesday with this question: Is a county zoning board – or any local board that makes a call someone might not like – required to explain itself? Continue reading State Supreme Court considers whether local boards have to explain their decisions