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Judge in Sioux City Double Murder Case Could Be Questioned about Conflict of Interest

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Woodbury County attorneys and a public defender want a review of the juvenile court records of recently convicted double murderer Tran Walker.  The Sioux City Journal reports they want to know if the judge who recently found Walker guilty might have had a conflict of interest concerning a new trial. The public defender's office received an allegation that District Judge Tod Deck had represented Walker in juvenile court when Deck was a lawyer.

A public defender and an assistant Woodbury County Attorney filed a joint motion to access Walker's records on Thursday.  Chief District Judge Duane Hoffmeyer on Friday granted the request. 

Hoffmeyer appointed Deck to preside over the case in February 2018, three months after Deck was appointed to the bench.  Tran Walker waived his right to a jury trial, and Deck presided over the trial.

A state legislative committee today has delayed a decision on rules that would allow the collection of some the winnings from sports betting, for those who owe child support, back taxes or criminal debt.

The state’s casinos asked the Iowa Administrative Rules Review Committee to delay that portion of the rules and allow lawmakers to clarify them next year.

The casinos asked the committee to delay that portion of the rules until lawmakers could draft a bill to conform to federal law.

Democratic Sen. Rob Hogg voted against the delay, saying people who owe child support, back taxes or criminal debt to the state should pay up.

Iowa's legalized sports betting starts Thursday.

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