Personal Injury & Investigation
Since starting my private practice of law I have gradually expanded my services to include select personal Injury cases and investigations.
In addition to my courtroom experience, I have received behavioral analysis interview and interrogation training from Reid & Associates, just like many detectives and private investigators.
I have also conducted my own investigations of elected officials and law enforcement officers when I was an elected County Attorney, and have also been hired to conduct these investigations in private practice.
My trial and investigation experience as an elected prosecutor has allowed me to accurately and efficiently evaluate cases for clients including:
- Auto Accidents
- Slip and Fall
- Data Privacy Act Violations
- Police Brutality
- Elevator Accidents
- Government Wrongdoing
- Work Environment Issues
- Landlord/Tenant
Case Successes
Kocher, et al. v. Met Life
Type of case: Serious traffic accident and physical injury to a family of four.
My role: I represented the family of four that was injured in the traffic accident with the assistance of Jerry Schnurr, Esq. in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
At issue: The Kocher family were political supporters of mine when I was County Attorney. When I started my private practice after winning re-election, the Kochers were rear ended on the outskirts of Des Moines by an inattentive driver. Life flight helicopters took the mother and oldest son to the hospital, and ambulances transported the father and younger son to the hospital.
The mother and oldest son were hurt the worst. The mother’s injuries included a rotator cuff injury. The oldest son sustained a closed head injury and hairline fracture of his pelvis, with concerns over memory loss. The father and younger son were bruised and shaken from the accident, but did not require ongoing physical therapy like the mother and oldest son.
All clients are advised by me to follow their doctor’s orders and physical therapist, which this family did very well. The family did well on recuperation from their injuries, but because they worked hard on physical rehabilitation it gave them a stronger argument for a better settlement.
Results: The insurance company for the driver causing the accident paid out the full policy limits. The insurance company for Kocher family paid out one-third of the policy limits for underinsured coverage.
Humboldt County Election Redistricting 2001
- Redistricting Editorial
- Redistricting Editorial 2
- Redistricting Article 10/11
- Redistricting Article 10/18
Type of case: The County Board of Supervisors in Humboldt County, Iowa, wanted to deny an election redistricting plan submitted by the election redistricting committee that complied with state case law and actual population distribution.
My role: I advised the Board of Supervisors and investigated public corruption.
At issue: I personally discovered three of five Supervisors meeting with the County Auditor without public notice as they were drawing a new election redistricting map. This meeting was in violation of the Iowa Open Meetings Law because anytime a majority of the board meets there must be public notice.
There was much heated political debate at many public meetings. The plan submitted by the three Supervisors that broke the Open Meetings Law would have allowed the City of Humboldt to control 75% of the votes on the Board of Supervisors in the next election, while the City of Humboldt only had 40% of the county-wide population.
Each of these Supervisors had districts that were in the Humboldt city limits and each was running for re-election. This could have disenfranchised 60% of the voting public in Humboldt County, and this is similar to how the election districts in Humboldt County were drawn for many years.
After multiple votes and heated political discussions, I publicly confronted the three Supervisors that broke the open meetings law. This eventually helped to pass the correct redistricting plan. Many people in Humboldt County, Iowa, were pleased that this corruption was brought to light.
Results: After multiple votes the Supervisors finally changed their stance to approve the correct election redistricting plan that I had advised them to adopt. The Iowa Secretary of State adopted this plan over a plan previously submitted by the Humboldt City Council.
Humboldt County Hog Lot Ordinances 2002
Type of case: The County Board of Supervisors wanted to approve the County Board of Health recommendation that there be restrictions on hog confinements that were stronger than the state restrictions.
My role: I advised the Supervisors on the propriety of the Board of Health's requested restrictions.
At issue: Before my time as County Attorney, Humboldt County had been the first Iowa county to promote agricultural ordinances that were more restrictive than the state laws. The Supervisors were advised by prior County Attorney’s not to enact these previous ordinances. Instead the Supervisors hired an outside law firm for over $100,000 to enact the ordinances, only to loose on appeal in the Iowa Supreme Court. There were many public meetings with raised voices when this issue was revisited, which involved various citizen action groups and agricultural producers.
Results: The Supervisors changed their initial stance and voted against the Board of Health recommendations based on my advice. An Iowa District Court later issued a judicial opinion that supported the advice I gave. I saved the county much litigation time and expense as the previous Board of Supervisors had previously spent over $100,000 in legal fees to loose an appeal in the Iowa Supreme Court on a similar hog lot issue.