(Atlantic, IA) – A judge in the case against a Massena daycare operator today (Thursday), sentenced 42-year-old Alison Elaine Dorsey to five-years in prison on an amended charge of Involuntary Manslaughter, with credit for time served (about 20 months). Dorsey – who appeared in court along with her lawyers -entered a written plea of guilty to the charge.  Before a crowd that overflowed into the corridor at the Cass County Courthouse, Judge Richard H. Davidson said a minimum fine of $750 was suspended, and imposed a maximum $150,000 in restitution to the family of Luka James Hodges, the 11-week old who died while in her care. Judge Davidson also issued a No Contact Order for a period of five-years between Dorsey and the Hodges family. She will serve her term in the Cass County Jail pending custody of the Iowa Department of Corrections. A charge of Child Endangerment Causing Death was dismissed.

In her written plea, Dorsey wrote that while she was caring for 11-week old Luka Hodges in 2019, she picked him up. She said was being fussy and wouldn’t eat, so she rocked him in her arms harder than she should have.  Dorsey said she regrets her actions unintentionally caused the infant’s death. The Judge allowed witness impact statements from Luka’s grandparents, sister and parents. Most of those statements mentioned how Dorsey was not remorseful for her acts. His father, Nicholas Hodges, said Dorsey had not asked for forgiveness, and he would not grant that request if she does.

Prior making the plea deal, Alison Dorsey was to have stood trial Feb. 24th in Cass County District Court. It would have been her third trial. The first in Atlantic ended in a hung jury/mistrial. The second, in Pottawattamie County, resulted in a conviction for second-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death, but the verdict was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court because they said, it was improperly moved from Cass to Pott. County.