116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401

Trish Mehaffey
Reporter covering state and federal courts, and whatever legal issues come my way. I also provide live coverage of criminal trials on Twitter @tmehaffey and welcome comments and questions from readers during the trials. Outside of work I love movies, tennis and my Kansas State Wildcats! Go Cats! Stay informed with the Public Safety newsletter.
Latest Articles by Trish Mehaffey
Crime and Courts May. 9, 2023 6:13 pm19d ago
A Cedar Rapids man was convicted by a Washington D.C. jury Tuesday on seven charges related to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. He faces at least one felony which carries up to 20 years in prison.
Crime and Courts May. 9, 2023 6:15 pm19d ago
Iowa City man, charged with attempted murder and robbery, fled to Jordan after cutting off GPS monitor over the weekend. His parents have been charged with aiding in the escape.
Crime and Courts May. 5, 2023 4:47 pm23d ago
A North Liberty man could face life in prison if a judge stacks all or some of the 40 counts of second-degree sexual abuse. He waived a jury trial and opted to have a stipulated trial based on the minutes of testimony. Each charge carries 25 years in prison.
Crime and Courts May. 5, 2023 7:04 pm23d ago
A judge sentenced Stanley Donahue, who shot a deputy during a 2021 Casey’s robbery in Coggon, 92 years in prison. In announcing his decision, the judge noted Donahue’s lack of remorse and the long term effects to the deputy and two store clerks who were forced into a cooler.
Local Government May. 4, 2023 9:08 am24d ago
The City of Marion has filed a petition asking the court to deem a dilapidated building on Seventh Avenue, which has become an “eyesore” to the recently-completed $6.9 million streetscape and plaza project, as abandoned property and grant the property title to the city.
Crime and Courts May. 3, 2023 5:14 pm25d ago
Judge denies new trial for Chicago man convicted for shooting deputy during Casey’s robbery in 2021. He will be sentenced Friday and faces up to 107 years in prison.
Crime and Courts May. 3, 2023 10:40 am25d ago
A Cedar Rapids man who attempted to rob a marijuana dealer and fired 24 rounds into an apartment building in 2021 was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.
Crime and Courts May. 2, 2023 3:47 pm26d ago
Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks reviews eluding cases after noticing big increase in these potentially dangerous situations that usually lead police on high speed chases.
Crime and Courts Apr. 29, 2023 9:23 am29d ago
A third teen was arrested Friday in connection with the Feb. 18 fatal shooting in northwest Cedar Rapids of 16-year-old Michael Alexander McCune, who died from eight gunshot wounds.
Crime and Courts Apr. 28, 2023 6:50 pm30d ago
The Iowa Supreme Court has granted further review of a Marion man’s overturned murder conviction in the fatal stabbing of Chris Bagley in 2018. Oral arguments will likely be in September.
Crime and Courts Apr. 28, 2023 7:52 pm30d ago
There are 66 pending sexual abuse cases in Linn County, but prosecutors and advocates don’t think the crimes are sharply increasing. They believe more are being reported and these cases take longer going through the court process, specifically the ones involving children.
Crime and Courts Apr. 25, 2023 8:27 pm33d ago
A Linn County jury finds a Cedar Rapids man guilty of a lesser charge, voluntary manslaughter, for beating 22-year-old woman with a metal rod. Prosecutor says this was a ‘brutal and unjustified“ killing.
Community Apr. 25, 2023 6:00 am33d ago
The Iowa City Downtown District launches its rewards program that gives points to redeem for discounts, free products, rewards and inside perks.
Crime and Courts Apr. 24, 2023 6:16 pm34d ago
Arthur Flowers, during a police interview, denied killing Emily Leonard on April 2, 2022. He says he was sound asleep in his bathtub — inches away from where Leonard’s body was found — but he didn’t hear or see anything.
Crime and Courts Apr. 25, 2023 3:13 pm33d ago
Emily Leonard was struck multiple times in the head with a linear or rounded object -- possibly a metal rod, a state medical examiner testified Friday. The blows were made a different angles and she would have died shortly after being attacked.