Compiled by Andrew Brink andrew@dmcityview.com

On the clock
Des Moines Police — April 10

1:55 a.m.
Burglary involving a weapon at the corner of East Maxwelton Drive and South Union Street. According to the officer’s report, Jane and Brad [actual names withheld] were sleeping when three men entered their house. Jane was sleeping in her son’s bedroom when she observed a man walk past the bedroom door. She sat up as the man pointed a gun at her and said, “lay down.” Jane stated that two other males went into the back bedroom, where Brad was sleeping. Jane said she heard the suspects say, “Where’s the shit at,” and “You’re lying.” Brad stated that when the two males entered his bedroom, one of the suspects handed a bat to the other and said, “hit him.” At that time, Jane ran to her neighbor’s house to use their phone. Jane heard the suspects running after her. Brad followed the suspects as they ran to a vehicle parked two houses down the street. Brad stated that the men had nylon stockings over their faces and had a “snub-nose” gun. The suspect’s vehicle was described as a tan Chevy Lumina.

11:30 p.m.
Assault with a motor vehicle in the 3600 block of Columbia Street. The victim stated that she had just returned home and was sitting in her car about to eat a taco when a white male waved at her and approached her vehicle from the passenger-door side. The victim thought she knew the suspect due to his casual demeanor. The male opened the passenger door and proceeded to grab the victim’s purse. The suspect then ran to his vehicle. The victim stated that because she was “mad,” she decided to pursue the suspect. The car chase went as far as the corner of Delaware and Guthrie avenues, where the suspect drove through the yard of a business. The suspect then rammed the victim’s car twice, causing damage to the 1994 Ford Taurus. At this point, the victim decided the chase was “a bad idea” and ended the chase. The victim obtained the suspect’s license plate number and police found that the plate was registered to a 1993 black and silver Ford Bronco. Police visited the address on file. The Bronco was not on site, and no one answered the door.

SUCKS TO BE YOU

Name: Former Dallas County Sheriff
Brian Gilbert
Location: Free on bond until his sentencing, scheduled for June 1 in Dallas County.
Sucks to be Gilbert because: After six hours of deliberations, a jury found Gilbert guilty of first-degree theft (defined as the theft of property exceeding $10,000) on April 10. The former sheriff, who resigned from his post in October 2006, was convicted of stealing nearly $120,000 that was seized during a traffic stop last year. First-degree theft is a class C felony, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

15, 1, 4 : the number of Iowa women, men and children,
respectively, killed in 2006 as a result of domestic violence.

DOCKET DIVING

The following is a recent decision posted by the Iowa Court of Appeals regarding the trial of Joanne C. William, aka Joanne C. Torrey, (Plaintiff-Appellee) v. William E. Williams (Defendant-Appellant):

On Feb. 6, 2006, William E. Williams filed the present motion requesting the district court order its court reporter to prepare a transcript from an unappealed 1992 court proceeding related to his child custody dispute. William contends he has been attempting to get a copy of this transcript “for years,” but negotiations with the court reporter have broken down. He now asks the court to intervene and order the court reporter to prepare the transcript. The district court denied this motion and subsequent motion to clarify “because [William] continues to blame others while failing to pay in advance for the transcript… ”

On July 31, 2001, the court reporter sent William a letter indicating the estimated cost of the transcript would be $2,200. [This estimate was based on the projected 800 pages of transcript and the $2.75 per page fee by rule 6.10 of the Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure.] The court reporter indicated she would begin preparation of the transcript upon receipt of a check or money order for $2,200 and the exhibits from the proceeding. [It is unclear what happened to the trial exhibits. In her 2001 letter, the court reporter indicated the Johnson County Clerk of Court told her the exhibits had been released to William. In his motion for release of transcript, William states the exhibits have been misplaced over time, but they are unnecessary because he desires a historical record of the proceeding, rather than a certified transcript.]

There is no indication William ever sent the court reporter the $2,200 payment for the transcript along with either (1) the exhibits or (2) an explanation that he would be willing to accept an uncertified transcript without an accurate description of the exhibits.

We affirm the decision of the district court without opinion pursuant to Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure 6.24(1) and (4).

911 call

Dispatcher: Sheriff’s office.
Caller: Uh, yes. I need to report a stolen trailer.
D: A stolen trailer from where?
C: [Gives address]
D: Was it parked on the street?
C: No, it was parked in the driveway across the street, which is an empty house that’s not finished being built yet.
D: OK, what’s your name.
C: [Gives name]
D: And what’s your phone number?
C: [Gives number]
D: OK, we’ll have an officer stop by and talk to you.
C: All right, thanks.

Officer’s report: I was dispatched to [address redacted] reference a theft. I talked to [the victim], who said that someone had stolen his trailer from the driveway [across the street] today, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The victim said that there was some merchandise in the trailer. The victim said that they had put the trailer in the driveway [across the street] to get it off the street for snowplows. The victim made contact with the person who plowed the driveway this morning, who said that [the trailer] was there when he plowed the drive around 5:30 a.m. The victim also tried to call the builder of the empty house and got no answer. Estimated value of trailer and merchandise: $2,400.

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