Trish Mehaffey

Appeals court Judge Mary Tabor was elected as the new chief judge to replace Thomas Bower who retired in July. Tabor has been a judge on the court since 2010.

A judge lowered bail from $500,000 to $100,000 for a Cedar Rapids woman charged with fatally stabbing the father of two of her children in January. If released, she must wear an ankle monitor and be under the supervision of 6th Judicial Department of Correctional Services pending trial set for Dec. 10.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, during a visit to Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, highlighted drug and firearms cases prosecuted in the Northern District of Iowa. Garland has been visiting federal prosecutors office around the country to talk with law enforcement about their efforts.

Iowa offenders who cause a death must pay $150,000 in restitution, according to a law enacted in 1997, but some Eastern Iowa victims say it’s not a priority to help them. They realize the offenders are spending life in prison, in most cases, and doubt they will receive much of it.

A former roofers union president who embezzled money from the organization was sentenced to 8 months in federal prison. He also has to pay over $30,000 in restitution.

A Cedar Rapids man who fatally shot another man during drug deal pleaded to lesser charges and faces up to 25 years. The two men were in an argument over the drugs when Paris Diamond shot twice at Mohamed Twafik in his car.

Jury convicts Cedar Rapids man of attempting to kill his ex-girlfriend in 2022. Victim didn’t testify but her deposition was allowed at trial, where she described how he slashed her throat and stabbed her in the back.

A former Iowa City police officer who lost a lawsuit against the city in April, claiming he was coerced into resigning or be fired, is now suing the city in federal court, claiming racial discrimination.

An Anamosa Middle School gym teacher resigned last week after being charged with sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old student in 2014. The district’s superintendent said his resignation was accepted by the board Monday.

A judge ruled Monday that prosecutors could use sworn testimony from a deposition of a woman authorities say was stabbed by her ex-boyfriend because prosecutors cannot find her as his attempted murder trial starts Tuesday in Linn County District Court.

A former North Liberty mayor and council member was charged this week with enticing minor for sex, a felony.

Investigation by Omaha-based law firm found North Liberty police chief, after receiving no confidence vote from union in March, didn’t violate any laws, act maliciously or fail to protect officers. It did find that communication needed to improve and they needed to rebuild trust within the department.

Surveillance videos revealed more information of a masked armed robbery suspect, including a sinister clown tattoo on his leg, which helped police identify him last month. He is accused of robbing Kum & Go on Blairs Ferry Road in May.

An Anamosa Middle School gym teacher is accused of sending inappropriate messages to a 10th grader in 2014. When the messages first surfaced anonymously in 2018, he denied the accusation and suggested his ex-wife may have sent the messages. During a renewed investigation this year, she denied any involvement.

A judge finds there is probable cause that Luke Truesdell, who is accused of blugeoning 4 people to death with a metal pipe, is not competent to stand trial. She ordered him to undergo a mental evaluation at state forensic psychiatric hospital in Coralville.