Public Defenders
Judge Won't Sanction Prosecutor for Making PD Do Unnecessary Work
A judge in Ames, Iowa, has refused to sanction the county prosecutor’s office for making a public defender do unnecessary work.
Assistant Public Defender Annette Boehlje had asked for sanctions because she spent several hours preparing for her client’s trial before learning the Story County prosecutor had decided to drop charges, the Ames Tribune reports.
Judge Gary McMinimee said he knew of no legal authority allowing him to issue sanctions, the story says.
The complainant in the case recanted her allegations of an assault at the Comfort Inn. County attorney Keishea Cretsinger said the case remained open until shortly before trial while investigators sought to find out whether the recantation was made due to threats of future violence.
