(Radio Iowa) -Civil rights groups across Iowa are asking a federal appeals court to reconsider a November decision to dismiss their fees case against the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office. The suit alleges that the sheriff’s office was wrongly charging to inmates before releasing them from jail. A-C-L-U of Iowa Communications Director Veronica Fowler says they’re committed to finding ways to move the case forward.”We’re deeply concerned about this practice. We feel that it’s so clearly wrong that we’d like to continue down every legal avenue to stop it,” she says. Fowler says the group wants an appeal because the sheriff’s office is taking money without any oversight.

“What happens is, the way the sheriff’s office is doing it, is that they basically get a rubber stamp from the district court without a judge ever reviewing it,” Fowler says.

The lawsuit said the money is used to fund a shooting range for the enjoyment of sheriff’s office employees and their families. Fowler says the A-C-L-U believes the judge’s reasoning for dismissing the case was flawed.