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 & Courts Feb. 6, 2023 4:32 pm1005d ago
The 21-year-old man also faces up to 40 years in prison for child porn, a case that stems from the investigation conducted by the Iowa City Police Department regarding the sexual abuse
Crime & Courts Feb. 3, 2023 4:40 pm1008d ago
A Cedar Rapids man found incompetent for trial last year has been found competetent, and his trial will begin Feb. 14. He demanded speedy trial.
Crime & Courts Feb. 2, 2023 3:59 pm1009d ago
A North Liberty man will spend 25 years in federal prison for child porn charges involving one minor he met on Snapchat. He communicated with her four months and requested nude images and videos from one.
Crime & Courts Feb. 2, 2023 3:32 pm1009d 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 & Courts Feb. 1, 2023 3:13 pm1010d 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 am1011d 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 & Courts Jan. 26, 2023 2:03 pm1016d 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 & Courts Jan. 26, 2023 1:57 pm1016d 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 & Courts Jan. 25, 2023 8:53 pm1016d 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 & Courts Jan. 25, 2023 11:08 am1017d 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 & Courts Jan. 25, 2023 9:54 am1017d 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 & Courts Jan. 24, 2023 9:24 am1018d ago
Closing arguments on Tuesday
Crime & Courts Jan. 23, 2023 6:29 pm1019d ago
A Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for robbing and killing a cab driver in 2011.
Crime & Courts Jan. 23, 2023 5:05 pm1019d 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 & Courts Jan. 23, 2023 8:45 am1019d ago
Defense continues its case today

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