Iowa

Brenna Bird disrespects America's legal system • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Published

2 years ago

May 16, 2024

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Brenna Bird disrespects America's legal system • Iowa Capital Dispatch

First, the good news: Most Americans trust juries.

Now, the bad news: Iowa’s attorney general apparently isn’t one of them.

Brenna Bird joined a bunch of other Republican politicians at the New York trial of Donald Trump this week and immediately pronounced it a farce. “Politics has no place in a court of law,” she said.

Unfortunately, Brenna Bird fails this standard. Iowa’s attorney general, who formerly worked for Rep. Steve King, has been aggressively making her name in GOP circles since being narrowly elected in 2022, repeatedly suing the Biden administration. Hardly a week goes by when her public relations people aren’t heralding a new lawsuit. Donald Trump has even practically anointed her a future governor.

On Monday, Bird took leave of her duties in Iowa to be in New York to be part of the Trump entourage seeking to torpedo the proceedings there. Among her fellow travelers: U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance and Tommy Tuberville.

Iowans who value the rule of law ought to be disgusted. I confess my bias: I tend to believe Trump is probably guilty of falsifying business records. But I’m an opinion columnist, not an officer of the court. And I will reserve final judgment until a jury decides whether the prosecution has proved its case. I also will continue to wait to see whether the jury’s judgment is affirmed by the appellate court Trump surely will go to if he loses.

I will trust their judgment. They’re closest to the case. I’m not.

Brenna Bird is skipping all that. She’s already proclaimed, without a doubt, that Trump is the victim.

These aren’t the actions of a prosecutor who believes in juries and the legal process. They’re the actions of a politician.

This isn’t to say the legal system is above reproach, of course. Plenty of people have been wronged by the court system, but rich men who live in country clubs aren’t generally among them. They have the money to hire clever lawyers to help them steer clear of consequences. Often, they succeed.

In that vein, Democrats have complained about the federal judge overseeing the criminal indictment in Florida accusing Trump of absconding with secret government documents. Some of the complaints have centered on technical, legal questions; others simply grouse about a “Trump judge” seeking to shield him from accountability.

The former is the argument of a lawyer, the latter is politics.

Now consider what Bird said in a statement: “Biden and his far-left allies will stop at nothing to silence President Trump’s voice and keep him off the campaign trail by keeping him tied up in court … It is wrong, it is election interference, and our country deserves better.”

This kind of analysis won’t get Bird published in a law review, but it might get her on Fox News. Or, as a colleague of mine, Dave Busiek points out, it might earn her an appointment in a new Trump administration, should Trump win in November.

It could be worse. Bird’s allies have attacked the families of the New York judge and prosecutor. Tuberville even complained about the “supposedly American citizens in that courtroom.” Some took this as an attack on the jury.

If Iowa’s top law enforcement officer objected to those attacks, I haven’t seen it.

At the outset of this article, I noted the good news that Americans trust juries. It’s true. A poll last year released by the National Center for State Courts said 61% of Americans expressed some or a great deal of confidence in state courts. That’s actually higher than it has been in recent years. (The Trump case in New York is being heard in a state court.)

More encouraging is the idea that people who have actually served on juries have an even higher opinion of the court system than the general public. An Ipsos survey last year “found that jurors were far more likely than the general public to trust those in the criminal justice system, such as judges at the federal, state, and Supreme Court level, attorneys, nonlegal staff members and law enforcement,” a New York Times article said.

There’s a reason for that.

“If you’re sitting on a jury, even for a day or two, you get a window into a very serious and focused environment,” Stephen Adler, a former legal reporter and Reuters editor who wrote a book on the jury system, said in the Times article. “Having that actual contact makes people, regardless of their preconceived notions, feel better about every actor in the process, all the way up to the judges.”

This is why I trust juries. Inside courtrooms, the participants are usually serious. Outside of courtrooms, our politics rarely is.

Since being elected, Bird has done the job in a vastly different manner than her predecessor. Can you imagine Tom Miller trying to undermine a criminal trial in another state? Of course not. Miller used to frustrate Democrats because he wasn’t more political. Now, Bird has turned the job on its head.

In 2022, Brenna Bird barely defeated Miller. Gov. Kim Reynolds’ strength at the top of the ticket undoubtedly carried her over the line. Reynolds won by 18 points, Bird by less than two points. She didn’t even measure up to most of the other Republican statewide candidates.

Bird’s attacks on Biden and her unquestioning support for Trump will surely help her with Republican base voters, and if she remains in Iowa, she’ll need that support given her relatively weak win two years ago. Still, I would like to think for the rest of us, it will have the opposite effect.

Brenna Bird was right about one thing Monday: Politics has no place in a court of law. Iowa voters should tell her that. It’s a quaint notion in these days of MAGA-fied politics, but we deserve a real prosecutor as our state’s attorney general, not a politician who may well have her eye on the next job, rather than serving the best interests of Iowans.

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Iowa

Iowa women’s wrestling finishes third at National Duals

Published

3 hours ago

January 10, 2026

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Iowa women’s wrestling finishes third at National Duals

CEDAR FALLS − The undefeated start to the Iowa women’s wrestling program has ended after the Hawkeyes lost a dual for the first time in program history at the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 10.

A 40-5 win over William Jewell College and a 39-3 victory over Sacred Heart set up a major semifinal clash with rival North Central College on Jan. 10.

Iowa won six of 10 matches in the semifinals. Karlee Brooks beat national runner-up Yele Aycock by a 8-4 decision, 138-pounder Skye Realin defeated a former national champion by a 6-6 score on criteria in Claire Dicugno with a four-point throw at the buzzer, Reese Larramendy knocked off No. 1 ranked and former Hawkeye teammate Bella Mir in a 10-4 decision at 145 and 180-pounder Kylie Welker wrestled and won in just her second match back after a period of rest to start the season.

All of those wins helped put Iowa in front, 21-18, going into the final bout at 207 pounds.

What did the Hawkeyes in was losses by fall at 110, 124 and 207. The 207 loss, with Dasia Yearby pinning Jaycee Foeller in the first period, gave North Central a 23-21 victory despite the Cardinals dropping six of 10 matches. North Central also scored team points in nine of 10 bouts because they scored match points and did not lose by fall.

As a result, the Iowa program’s 42-0 unblemished record in duals was broken.

The final result was eerily similar to the dual between the two teams at the same tournament two years ago, where the Hawkeyes also lost six of 10 bouts, but got crucial bonus points and at least one team point in all 10 bouts to escape with a 21-20 win.

Iowa women’s wrestling coach Clarissa Chun emphasized to her team two years ago that every point mattered in the win. This time around, it worked against them as the Cardinals got the upset victory.

“Every point does matter,” Chun said. “You can’t replicate those moments in those times, in certain moments and positions. We got to be better at finishing, that’s apparent. We can get to the legs, but we got to continue to wrestle through that to the strong finish.”

Iowa women’s wrestling’s Skye Realin discusses loss to North Central

VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Skye Realin discusses loss to North Central

Chun said the emotions were raw afterwards, with wrestlers in and out of the lineup taking the loss to heart. Welker, who won her bout 8-2 against Jael Miller, took it hard since she nearly had a pin that could have flipped the final result.

“There was a lot of us that felt it was hard to take a loss, especially for me, and there was a couple other girls that took it pretty hard,” Welker said. “I have girls that look to me, so I’m like, ‘I got to pull myself together and step forward with them, alongside them so we can finish this tournament.’”

Ultimately, the Hawkeyes finished with a win in the third-place bout shortly after by defeating a solid Grand Valley State team, 26-15. The main difference, they said, was the positive energy exuded from the coaching staff to not harp on the past and look for the next best thing.

Iowa women’s wrestling’s Karlee Brooks discusses loss to North Central

VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Karlee Brooks discusses loss to North Central

While the loss brings an unfamiliar feeling to the program, it’s something they knew would come eventually. While it was their main rival today, McKendree will also present a tough challenge to the field when the NCAA Championships come in March.

Behind stars Welker and Kennedy Blades, rising wrestlers like Brooks and Realin, as well as proven veterans in Larramendy, Brianna Gonzalez and Foeller, Iowa will have a good chance to win a third-consecutive team title this season.

Even in a crushing loss, they got some key wins from those like Realin, Larramendy and Brooks that bode well for the Hawkeyes in the future. The places they faltered were spots they’ll have confidence to bounce back or won’t apply come the NCAA Championships, like Nyla Valencia’s loss by fall after controlling most of the bout at 110 pounds, and Welker and Blades giving up team points in their matches.

Regardless, the third-place finish served as a reminder to the program and fans alike that this year is going to bring Iowa’s toughest challenge yet.

“Everyone on our team knows it, this sport has depth,” Chun said. “There are great wrestlers across the entire country.”

Iowa women’s wrestling’s results at NWCA National Duals

Iowa women’s wrestling’s Kylie Welker’s National Duals press conference

VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Kylie Welker discusses program’s first loss

Round of 16: Iowa 40, William Jewell College 5

103 – Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Juliana Alejandro (William Jewell College) TF 11-0
110 – Nyla Valencia (Iowa) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
117 – Alexandra Waitsman (William Jewell College) over Harlee Hiller (Iowa) Fall 1:04
124 – Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) over Miyah Palacios (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
131 – Emily Frost (Iowa) over Shelby Kemp (William Jewell College) Fall 1:22
138 – Lilly Luft (Iowa) over Zainab Ibrahim (William Jewell College) Fall 2:01
145 – Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Mckinzie Ross (William Jewell College) TF 11-0
160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Paige Barber (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
180 – Katja Osteen (Iowa) over Jianna Chavez (William Jewell College) Fall 1:22
207 – Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) over Desiree Hall (William Jewell College) TF 10-0

Quarterfinal: Iowa 39, Sacred Heart University 3

103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa) over Aaliyah Payne-Parris (Sacred Heart) Fall 0:54
110 – Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Tiffany Stoshak (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
117 – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Tatiana Walker (Sacred Heart) TF 11-0
124 – Cali Leng (Iowa) over Lauren Nguyen (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
131 – Bella Williams (Iowa) over Bella Sowards (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
138 – Skye Realin (Iowa) over Elleahna Anderson (Sacred Heart) Fall 2:21
145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Selena Sifuentes shaffer (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Love Daley (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Madeline Hodges (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
207 – Josephine Larson (Sacred Heart) over Libby Dix (Iowa) Dec 5-2

Semifinal: North Central College 23, Iowa 21

103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa) over Brianne Graves (North Central College) TF 12-0
110 – Kaelani Shufeldt (North Central College) over Nyla Valencia (Iowa) Fall 5:38
117 – Riley Rayome (North Central College) over Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) Dec 3-3
124 – Sara Sterner (North Central College) over Cali Leng (Iowa) Fall 1:45
131 – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Yele Aycock (North Central College) Dec 8-4
138 – Skye Realin (Iowa) over Claire Dicugno (North Central College) Dec 6-6
145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Bella Mir (North Central College) Dec 10-4
160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Taylor Graveman (North Central College) TF 11-1
180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Jael Miller (North Central College) Dec 8-2
207 – Dasia Yearby (North Central College) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) Fall 1:38

Third-place dual: Iowa 26, Grand Valley State 15

103 – Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley State) Dec 7-0
110 – Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Kiely Tabaldo (Grand Valley State) Dec 6-0
117 – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Libby Roberts (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
124 – Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) over Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) Fall 0:37
131 – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley State) Dec 8-3
138 – Katerina Lange (Grand Valley State) over Lilly Luft (Iowa) TF 10-0
145 – Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Margaret Buurma (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Noelle Gaffney (Grand Valley State) Fall 3:45
180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Maddison Ward (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
207 – Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) Fall 4:47

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.

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Iowa

Ben Kueter earns top-10 in return to Iowa men’s wrestling lineup

Published

15 hours ago

January 10, 2026

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Ben Kueter earns top-10 in return to Iowa men’s wrestling lineup

Iowa heavyweight Ben Kueter is back and feels better than ever | The Gazette

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Iowa

Semi-truck crash causes Iowa power outage impacting hundreds

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

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Semi-truck crash causes Iowa power outage impacting hundreds

TAMA COUNTY, Iowa — A pair of power outages left more than 700 people without power in Tama County Friday afternoon.

Alliant Energy says the larger outage, just north of Garwin, was caused by a semi-truck striking one of their power poles. That outages impacted 690 customers as of 5 p.m. Friday.

The smaller outage impacted roughly 36 people in Tama. The outage was caused by equipment needing repairs.

Alliant says crews are on site and working to fix both outages.

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