As of Friday, Gantt is no longer listed as a faculty member of the school's English department. Please check back here in the coming months for additional information about our new crime data website. In appellate filings, her office argued that in hearing the case, "The court would be asked to decide whether the time spent by the Governor and her staff in relation to the time working on plaintiffs record requests was reasonable.". The Ames Police Department responded to . Todd Robert Hicks pleaded guilty in January to six counts of second-degree sexual abuse and three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. During this time period, the suit states Pott-Pepperman earned $756,109 from Medicare claims and $111,409 for Medicaid claims. Kim Reynolds of failing to follow Iowa's public records law can continue, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday, saying the governor's office can be sued just . The federal sentence will be served concurrently with the state term, which means, in effect, that she will spend more time in prison, according to Richard D. Westphal, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. The Justice Department appealed the ruling, but it's unclear how the FDA will balance the competing orders. William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. In its decision Friday, the court with all participating justices joining Justice David May's opinion found that Reynolds' failure to respond to numerous records requests, or even to affirmatively deny them, violated both the letter and the intent of the Legislature's open records law. Des Moines Register. The decision came in a lawsuit filed in December 2021 by three plaintiffs represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, who accused Reynolds' office of "stonewalling" public records requests, in some cases for more than a year. The ruling may bar health care providers nationwide from prescribing mifepristone, even in states where abortion is legal. Also last year, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed its 2018 decision and ruled that the state constitution does not protect a fundamental right to an abortion. Pott-Pepperman's psychology license is still active, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health Bureau of Professional Licensure. Phone: 206-878-4595. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Iowa is not one of those 17 states. "Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, decision-making power has been returned to the states," she said. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. A search warrant filed prior to the teacher's arrest showed police obtained communications between her and the student that appeared flirtatious and personal. Cloudy. The girl suffered pain, cuts, bruising, swelling and a concussion. What we found. Police in Des Moines have issued a material witness warrant for an 18-year-old they say may have information about the fatal shooting. Lawyers for Planned Parenthood and the Emma Goldman Clinic urged the court not to overturn the four-year-old injunction, citing procedural concerns with relitigating a law that was deemed unconstitutional when it first passed. Report a Crime Training Opportunities View Forfeiture Auctions . The only question is whether it was murder. A mother drew a gun to drive off two people who were trying to abduct her son in a Des Moines skywalk outside her office, according to police reports. 0:42. When reached by phone Thursday, Pott-Pepperman said he doesn't know "anything about" the lawsuit and hung up. Service Advisory. 1:26. Kim Reynolds sat in the front row of the courtroom, directly behind her lawyers. Ms. Poole Franklin drove off and was arrested by the police later that day, according to a statement from the Clive Police Department. 42. The lawsuit also cites video evidence from a nursing home in Granger from February through May of 2019 that allegedly shows he "consistently left the facility earlier than reflected in his patient notes.". The legal landscape for abortion has changed significantly over the last several years. Bull, in his statement, said the evidence will make clear that Boat acted with the necessary premeditation to be convicted of murder. In the interim, abortion laws in Iowa and nationwide have been shaken by a string of recent court decisions. Teens could work more hours, serve alcohol under bill passed by Senate, Iowa Senate passes $5M cap on pain and suffering in trucking lawsuits, Iowa Senate passes bill boosting sentences for manufacturing fentanyl. Kirkman pleaded guilty in February to one count of vehicular homicide, a class C felony, and one count of operating while intoxicated, an aggravated misdemeanor. It is not clear, from online court records, whether the defense intends to present any witnesses. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to . After Des Moines minister Dwight Reed married a much younger congregant, a Texas minister accused him of . Des Moines Register A Dowling Catholic High School teacher has been arrested for an alleged sexual relationship with a student. The initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic consumed every aspect of our daily lives, and accordingly my office shifted its entire focus to help Iowans navigate that difficult period," she said. The lawsuit alleges this is not the first time Pott-Pepperman has been investigated for overbilling. It is a right that must be protected," Amnesty International said. "An interpretation (of the statute) that requires timely production promotes 'free and open examination of public records,'" May wrote. Her office did not respond to a request for comment. Iowa ranks 43rd in lawyers per capita, which adds to challenges in indigent defense and legal services in rural areas, Deborah Enix-Ross says. Boyfriend, daughter mourn woman who died in Pella stabbing, Records show Iowa woman's actions leading up to stabbing death of her husband's girlfriend, Nick told the Des Moines Register after the stabbing, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The U.S. government and the state of Iowa have accused a Des Moines psychologist of fraud for allegedly improperly submitting Medicare and Medicaid insurance claims. Iowa stops paying for rape victims' morning-after pills and abortions. ", The court also addressed Reynolds' argument that suing her office raises constitutional concerns. Des Moines man sentenced for sexual abuse . William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. A lawsuit accusing Gov. The U.S. government and the state of Iowa have accused a Des Moines psychologist of fraud for allegedly improperly submitting Medicare and Medicaid insurance claims. More:Did an Iowa educator's drinking after the last day of school put his daughter at risk? Oskaloosa man gets 30-year sentence in infant's death, Iowa women say American Airlines lost, damaged their custom wheelchairs and left them stranded, West Des Moines district settles lawsuit alleging student permanently injured in gym class, State auditor not entitled to records of insurance pool junkets, Iowa Supreme Court rules. But she told jurors the full story needs to take into account Boat's state of mind, describing her as a heartbroken woman left alone by her husband of 20 years in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2023-04-16 19:03 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-15 21:37 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-15 13:42 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-14 23:23 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-14 21:11 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-14 11:02 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-14 11:01 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-13 19:38 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-13 11:02 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-13 21:35 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-12 17:30 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-12 11:00 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-11 11:01 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-11 11:00 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-11 21:21 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-10 21:25 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-11 14:43 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-09 01:55 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-07 02:02 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-06 19:10 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-06 14:15 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-06 20:48 UTC by Des Moines Register, 2023-04-05 18:32 UTC by Des Moines Register, Des Moines bar owners Steve McFadden, Edwin Allen III plead guilty in GPS stalking case, Urbandale man sentenced to 12 years in July 2022 vehicular homicide involving bicyclist, Ames High School student arrested for bringing loaded, stolen gun to school, Dowling English teacher arrested for alleged sexual exploitation of 17-year-old student, Gov. He will also be required to pay $150,000 in restitution to Deal's family and undergo a substance abuse violation. While the court declined to order Reynolds to provide documents she already has produced, the decision sends the case back to district court to continue, with instructions for the judge there to consider whether the plaintiffs are entitled to other forms of relief, such as attorney fees. Gov. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. Despite those denials, the warrant concludes: "Messages collected through numerous sources show that an ongoing relationship had taken place between the two which was sexualized in nature, had occurred inside and outside of school grounds, and included numerous electronic platforms.". What we found, West Des Moines district settles lawsuit alleging student permanently injured in gym class, Iowa women say American Airlines lost, damaged their custom wheelchairs and left them stranded, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The driver had a breath alcohol content of .363 at the time of his arrest more than four times the legal limit of 0.08. Nicole Poole Franklin, 43 of Des Moines, was sentenced on two federal hate crime charges in connection with the 2019 attacks. She drove the Jeep over the curb, onto the sidewalk, toward both minors and struck one of them, it said. Clinton also sued and won a settlement from a 2018 stop. May noted that the plaintiffs need only prove Reynolds "refused to make those government records available," and that it is up to her to decide whether and how to defend against those claims, including arguing that her staff was too busy with other tasks. . ", Iowa Capitol Press Association President Erin Murphy, the Des Moines bureau chief for the Cedar Rapids Gazette, called the ruling a victory for all Iowans. Authorities allege Gantt, who was employed as an English teacher at Dowling in West Des Moines, engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student in her class. It shouldnt take a lawsuit to gain access to public documents, Obradovich said. Under current law, abortions are legal in Iowa until 20 weeks of pregnancy. They went on their first date on March 8, about nine weeks before her death. Take Note: We are currently in the process of upgrading to a new crime mapping and records system. Project CommUNITY. The state and Planned Parenthood disagreed about what the legal standard is for abortion laws in Iowa. 1:09. Its important for the media and therefore the people of Iowa to receive this important information in a timely manner, especially during a public health crisis.. Bull told the jury repeatedly that Boat was "scorned, seething and obsessed" after her husband left her, and said the evidence will not only show Boat killed Mondabough, but that she did it with careful planning, including obtaining latex gloves and following her around Pella in her car before the attack. A judge sentenced him Friday to serve 10 years on the vehicular homicide charge and two years for the OWI charge, totaling up to 12 years in prison. Nothing can be more devastating to the American dream of equal rights than what Ms. Poole Franklin did when she drove her car into the young victims, Mr. Westphal wrote in a sentencing memo. In the meantime, please call the Records Section at (515)-283-4896 to request police reports. Each of the physical encounters occurred in Gantt's classroom after the school day had ended, according to the complaint. But ACLU of Iowa attorney Thomas Story said in a statement that the pandemic also raised matters of "great importance" on which the public was entitled to answers. Schandevel responded that the Legislature can decide if it wants to amend the 2018 law after the injunction is lifted. Court documents described a harrowing pair of unprovoked attacks by Ms. Poole Franklin on Dec. 9, 2019, as she drove her Jeep Grand Cherokee by children who she believed were Middle Eastern, African or Mexican. An Urbandale man has been sentenced to 12 years after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide. It said that is a political question that's beyond the Supreme Court's jurisdiction. The Iowa Capitol Press Association is pleased with the Courts ruling as we continue to advocate for policies that encourage transparency and access to Iowans government.. A 2016 Des Moines Register investigation found scores of police calls to the academy over the prior three years, including at least five alleging sexual abuse. School administrators supplied police with surveillance footage that appeared to show Gantt and the student in her classroom alone behind a locked door. COPYRIGHT 2023 CITY OF DES MOINES, IOWA Privacy & Security Policy and Disclaimer Accessibility Website Feedback. Courts blocked that law from ever taking effect. The child, a 12-year-old Black boy, suffered pain, cuts, bruising and swelling, according to the plea agreement. According to the warrant, the student told police Gantt reached out "to provide support" as he struggled with family issues at home. The woman, Nicole Poole Franklin, 43 of Des Moines, Iowa, had already been sentenced in May to 25 years in prison on state charges of attempted murder in the attacks. Reporting at a protest scene as a working member of the media is not a crime. Community comparison of crime in America: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Metro Area (2020) This interactive graphic dissects numbers from the FBI's Uniform Crime Report for metropolitan areas. For the OWI charge, Kirkman will be required to pay an additional fine of $1,875 and his license will be revoked. Reynolds and leaders of the Iowa House and Senate have said they're waiting for a court decision before introducing new legislation. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, giving states the power to enact more restrictive abortion laws. Copy and paste this code into your website. The data shows the number of reports for the following types of crime: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft. The Alliance Defending Freedom filed the lawsuit against mifepristone use in Texas. American Bar Association president says it could use more. Democrats on Tuesday criticized Reynolds for her efforts to revive the law and restrict abortion. In a lawsuit, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Lawrence allege Daniel Pott-Pepperman knowingly overbilled to Medicaid and Medicare, which resulted in the government paying him for services he did not provide. This feed's current articles are shown below. Reynolds' office issued a statement responding to the ruling, saying the delays in fulfilling records requests were a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with which her office was preoccupied at the time. Eimermann said that, after the case is presented, Boat should be held accountable for Mondabough's death. "Pott-Peppermans progress notes show that he saw patients for forty-five minutes and that he saw patients back-to-back, in 45-minute increments, from early in the morning until late at night, without breaks for meals or the bathroom," the lawsuit states. 20 GOP lawmakers file bill to ban all Iowa abortions. They also asked the court to order the governor to turn over the requested records and refrain from future delays. Unsolved Iowa murders: A look at infamous cases in the state. Her trial began Thursday with opening arguments in which Marion County attorney Ed Bull laid out extensive evidence tying her to the crime, including spots of Mondabough's blood found in and on Boat's car, and hairs gripped in the dead woman's hand identified by DNA testing as coming from Boat. The Iowa State Patrol estimates the driver was going 130 mph when he caused an accident that killed a Maxwell, Iowa man. The court rejected that argument. "Tracy's (death) resulted in a domino effect that not only hurt meand took the love of my life away, but hurt her family, and has hurt my family.". Attorneys for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the Emma Goldman Clinic urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the governor's appeal and to agree with the district court that the injunction should remain in place. 0:00. Belin, of Bleeding Heartland, said in a statement released by the ACLU that Reynolds' actions set a bad standard for the rest of state government. More: West Des Moines district settles lawsuit alleging student permanently injured in gym class, In contrast, the suit alleges nursing home staff reported he often met with patients for far less time, ranging from five to 30 minutes. Iowa argues open-records law not 'well-recognized' policy, Bill to limit Iowa auditor could leave $12B in funding unchecked, nonpartisan agency says, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The lawsuit alleges central Iowa psychologist Daniel Pott-Pepperman knowingly overbilled to Medicaid and Medicare. Lawyers for Reynolds argued that the courts have the power to undo the 2018 injunction and allow the law to go into effect. Pott-Pepperman commonly submitted Medicare and Medicaid claims for six hours of neuropsychological testing and two hours of psychological testing from 2012 through 2019, according to the lawsuit. Some of these conversations on Instagram, which the warrant application said were first obtained by local NBC-affiliate WHO-13, detail messages in which they both comment on each others' appearances and make plans to spend time together outside of school. Over the past 30 years, about 1 in 3 Iowa homicides has gone unsolved, and there have been hundreds of other unsolved killings since Iowa became a state in 1846. In a statement, Reynolds said she is "optimistic" that the courts will allow the law to take effect. "An effective democracy is transparent and responsive to its people. Compare Des Moines crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout. Share this page on your favorite Social network, Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission, Greater Des Moines Sister Cities Commission, Community Policing and Code Enforcement Policy and Practice Review Committee (PPRC), Stormwater Infrastructure Advisory Committee. View in new tab 0:05. Even Michelle Boat's attorneys admit there is overwhelming evidence she killed Tracy Mondabough in May 2018. Can Iowa's new laws targeting transgender kids survive potential lawsuits? All rights reserved. Justices quizzed the attorneys on the legal precedent to reconsider a blocked law once deemed unconstitutional, and they asked why Iowa doesn't simply pass a new law clarifying the state's stance on abortion. It also directed the district judge to take up the plaintiffs' claims that Reynolds' production of records after the suit was filed wrongly excluded some documents as confidential. Police arrested Kristen Gantt, 36, on Friday on two counts of sexual . The plaintiffs, in response, argued that the case remains active because Reynolds has not provided all of the requested records and that her office is subject to the same timeliness requirements as any other government entity.