Trooper refuses ticket payment by fired agent

A state trooper cited for speeding with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad aboard has refused payment of his $181 ticket by a fired state investigator.

Trooper Steve Lawrence told the court that Larry Hedlund paid the ticket without Lawrence's consent and against his wishes. Because paying a citation equates to a guilty plea, Lawrence asked the court to refund the payment to give him time to decide whether to fight the ticket.

New rules on fines?

The unusual event has caused administrators of Iowa Courts Online to question whether they should limit who can pay a court fine.

“I don't think we've really had to address that issue before,” said Joel Jensen, who coordinates application support for the Iowa Courts Information System. “I think that seems like a potential problem.”

As it stands, anyone can pay a fine online as long as they know the defendant's name or case number, he said.

Deputy State Court Administrator John Goerdt said the course of action if someone paid a ticket against the defendant's will would be to write to the court.

“If you didn't want to plead guilty and they paid the ticket for you, you could probably have that quashed,” he said.

Lawrence was cited last week for driving 84 mph in a 65-mph zone on Highway 20 in Hamilton County. The citation was the result of a Department of Public Safety review of an April 26 incident in which Lawrence was driving Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Hedlund, a veteran investigator with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, spotted the state-owned SUV and reported it to dispatch.

Another trooper who initially pursued the vehicle aborted when he realized the car was driven by a fellow trooper.

Hedlund was put on paid leave two days after he complained that the governor's SUV wasn't stopped. He was fired July 17, but state officials have said the termination was not linked to the complaint.

Hedlund paid Lawrence's citation online Friday.

Lawrence sent a memo to Hamilton County District Court Monday asking officials to refund the money.

“The fine associated with this complaint was paid on 7/26/13 by a third party without my knowledge or consent to do so,” Lawrence wrote. “This was not my intent, and I am requesting the money be returned to the submitter.”

He asked the court for an extension on his Aug. 20 court date “allowing me additional time to evaluate the situation and consider my best options.”

Magistrate Joseline Greenley issued an order Tuesday setting aside the guilty plea and refunding Hedlund's payment. Lawrence's court date is still set for Aug. 20.