IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A father has appealed an Iowa judge’s ruling that requires him to travel across the country to take his two children to visit their mother while she serves prison time for first-degree murder. Michael Roberts said Tuesday his attorney appealed the ruling last week. Judge Nancy Whittenburg ordered Roberts last month to take his children from California to visit Tracey Richter at the women’s prison in Mitchellville three times while she appeals her conviction. The judge says Roberts also cannot move back to his native Australia until then.

Whittenburg says the 14-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl have a positive history with Richter. She says the visits will help them bring closure to events that ended with Richter being convicted in the 2001 execution-style death of neighbor Dustin Wehde in the Sac County town of Early.