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 Feb. 2, 2023 3:32 pm51d ago
A California man, who was the leader of a meth trafficking operation that brought “hundreds of pounds” of the drug from California into Iowa, was convicted and faces a minimum of 10 years and possibly up to life in prison.
Crime and Courts Feb. 1, 2023 3:13 pm52d ago
A Cedar Rapids man who fatally shot his girlfriend’s uncle pleaded to voluntary manslaughter and other charges. He faces up to 20 years. He and his girlfriend staged the 2019 shooting to look like a suicide.
Community Jan. 31, 2023 9:39 am53d ago
Iowa State University will celebrate it’s first George Washington Carver Day Feb. 1. Carver was the first Black student to receive bachelor and master degrees and also first Black faculty member at ISU.
Crime and Courts Jan. 26, 2023 2:03 pm58d ago
An Iowa City man was convicted for igniting a fire at his former girlfriend’s apartment, trapping her, her boyfriend and three kids under the age of 5. They escaped on a balcony and waited for firefighters.
Crime and Courts Jan. 26, 2023 1:57 pm58d ago
A Marion man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for sexual abuse of teen girl and possessing child pornography. He forced the teen to do sex acts in exchange for internet she needed to do her school work.
Crime and Courts Jan. 25, 2023 8:53 pm59d ago
Alexander Jackson faces life in prison for killing his parents and 19-year-old sister in June 2021. After the verdict, his father’s family members said “Alex wanted the world to think he was a victim” but they know the truth today.
Crime and Courts Jan. 25, 2023 11:08 am59d ago
Alexander Jackson has been found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his father Jan Jackson, 61, mother Melissa Jackson, 68, and his sister Sabrina Jackson, 19 on June 15, 2021.
Crime and Courts Jan. 25, 2023 9:54 am59d ago
A prosecutor in the Alexander Jackson murder trial, said during her closing argument Tuesday that Jackson didn’t bother checking on his family before he called 911 because he knew they were dead. The defense said there is reasonable doubt in the circumstantial case to convict Jackson. The jury will resume deliberations Wednesday.
Crime and Courts Jan. 24, 2023 9:24 am60d ago
Closing arguments on Tuesday
Crime and Courts Jan. 23, 2023 6:29 pm61d ago
A Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for robbing and killing a cab driver in 2011.
Crime and Courts Jan. 23, 2023 5:05 pm61d ago
A defense expert testified Alexander Jackson didn’t have the doorbell app Ring to manipulate backyard surveillance cameras, which police suspected. Jackson claims an intruder broke in and killed his parents and sister on June 15, 2021, but no intruder was seen on camera videos.
Crime and Courts Jan. 23, 2023 8:45 am62d ago
Defense continues its case today
Crime and Courts Jan. 21, 2023 11:25 am63d ago
A defense expert said a Cedar Rapids police dog that couldn’t track the alleged intruder that Alexander Jackson said killed his family doesn’t mean the suspect didn’t exist. He said the dog was panting heavily, preventing him from sniffing through his nose to track anything.
Crime and Courts Jan. 20, 2023 9:04 am64d ago
Defense will start its case Friday.
Crime and Courts Jan. 20, 2023 9:40 am64d ago
Police investigators interrogated Alexander Jackson for several hours but he didn’t change his story about an intruder killing his parents and sister. The investigators believe his motive was an ultimatum from his father to get a job or move out.