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Iowa early News Headlines: Thursday, March 22nd 2017

News

March 23rd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A bill that would set mandatory minimum prison sentences for repeat domestic abuse offenders in Iowa is drawing opposition from an unlikely source: one of the state’s largest advocacy organizations for victims. Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence is registered against the bill, which is expected for House debate Thursday. Director of Public Policy Laura Hessburg says increasing prison penalties can cause unintended harm _ such as perpetuating cycles of violence and racial inequality.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Court of Appeals says a Davenport man should get another trial because prosecutors removed the only two black people from the prospective jury pool violating a constitutional protection against removing jurors because of their race. Marquise Miller, who is black, was charged with eluding police and theft for allegedly helping two accomplices flee after shoplifting at a Dillard’s department store in Davenport in 2015.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo police officer has been placed on administrative leave after she was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk and causing a crash. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 32-year-old Diana Del Valle was arrested on suspicion of first-offense operating while intoxicated following a late-night March 16 collision on a Waterloo street while she was off-duty. Authorities say she hit a parked vehicle. She was also ticketed for failure to maintain control.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Officials say they didn’t have a hard tracking down a would-be marijuana dealer in Davenport. That’s because, they say, he received 10 pounds of the drug in the U.S. mail. Prosecutors say 25-year-old Charles Simpson has been charged with possession with intent to deliver, conspiracy to possess and deliver marijuana and failure to affix a drug tax stamp. The Quad-City Times reports that Simpson’s brother mailed him the marijuana to sell locally.