County attorney hadn't tried a felony case in years
Posted: 05.09.2012 at 12:52 PM Updated: 05.09.2012 at 2:45 PM
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IOWA CITY, IOWA (AP) -- Last week KTVO reported that Appanoose County Prosecutor Richard Scott had been suspended from his duties by the State Supreme Court

Court documents released this week show why.

The petition filed with the Supreme Court that led to Scott’s suspension paints a picture of completely dysfunctional county attorney.

In one instance, a man facing felony drug charges sat in jail for 126 days without being arraigned.

Records indicate there was no good cause shown for the delay.

As a result, in July of 2010, Scott’s Office agreed to dismiss the case simply because the suspect’s right to a speedy trial had been violated.

The petition brought to the Court’s attention six other misdemeanor cases, including a domestic abuse case and an assault case that were dismissed because Scott was unavailable to proceed with the case.

At this time Scott’s suspension is temporary, a hearing has been scheduled for May 29, in front of the court that may decide whether his license and position will be re-instated.

Davis County Attorney Rick Lynch is handling Scott’s office during the suspension.

Click here to view the court documents 

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Regulators warned the Iowa Supreme Court that a county attorney's failure to do his job has let criminal suspects beat charges and poses a threat to public safety.

The court last week suspended Appanoose County Attorney Richard Scott, saying he was unable to perform his duties. Its attorney disciplinary board Tuesday released a copy of its petition seeking the suspension in response to a request by The Associated Press.

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The petition says Scott's "neglect of his official duties poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the public." It says he has not tried a felony, drunken driving or aggravated misdemeanor case since he started in 2008, reaching plea deals or dismissing charges instead.

The petition included six cases dismissed because Scott wasn't available.

Scott's attorney didn't return a message.


(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)