Podcast: 'On the Record' talks Iowa's new criminal justice reform bill

In this podcast, On the Record talks about the criminal justice reform bill that was signed into law last week. The bill increases penalties for some crimes and reduces others.   

The guests are Rep. Ken Rizer, R-Cedar Rapids, and First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks. Both were at the Capitol last Thursday when Gov. Branstad signed the bill into law. Rizer was instrumental, along with Rep. Dave Dawson, D-Sioux City, in guiding the legislation through the Iowa House. Maybanks has prosecuted many child endangerment cases resulting in death or bodily injury, including the 2010 Linn County case where 18-month-old Kamryn Schlitter died from abuse by her father Zyriah Schlitter and his former girlfriend Amy Parmer, both convicted and serving up to 50 years in prison.    

This law now will require those convicted of child endangerment resulting in death to serve at least 15 years of the 50 year sentence before being eligible for parole.

The new law also makes some non-violent drug offenders eligible for parole after serving half the mandatory minimum sentence, and it creates a new charge of third-degree robbery, an aggravated misdemeanor, for non-violent robbery offenses.

On the Record, a weekly podcast covering crime, courts and other legal topics, is hosted by Trish Mehaffey and produced by Clare Murphy.