Story County Legislator Asks For Increased Jail Sentence After Attorney Assault

Rep. Rob Bacon is hoping to increase the penalty for assaulting members of the judicial branch, county attorney's and their employees in response to an assault that took place at the Story County Courthouse last week.

Bacon, a Republican of Slater, wants to make the penalty for assaulting employees of county attorney's offices and the judicial branch a Class C felony, the Ames Tribune reported.

He plans to add an amendment to a bill already in session that deals with assault of city bus drivers.

Major Louis Robinson, II, of Mason City, approached a group of employees leaving the Story County Courthouse about 5 p.m. March 19 and asked for a specific assistant county attorney by name and then punched him in the face, according to criminal complaints.

Another man tried to pull Robinson away from the assistant attorney and Robinson punched him in the face breaking his glasses, complaints said.

Robinson, 31, was charged with two counts of assault, a serious misdemeanor, and two counts of willful injury, a Class D felony.

Robinson is currently being held on a $24,000 bond and has hired a private attorney who filed to dismiss the charges. An April 4 hearing has been set on that motion.

Class D felonies are punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

If Bacon's amendment is successful, assaults on judges and attorneys would be a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Knowingly assaulting a police officer, firefighter, jailer, health care providers, or employees of the Board of Parole, Department of Revenue or Department of Human Services is a Class D felony under the Iowa code.

KCCI reported last week that Story County Attorney Steven Holmes wanted a more severe penalty for such assaults. They have a video of the assault on their site.

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