(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
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State suspends license of former prosecutor convicted of sex crimes [1]
['Clark Kauffman', 'More From Author', '- November']
Date: 2023-11-24
The state of Iowa has suspended the law license of a former county prosecutor who pleaded guilty to sex crimes involving children.
In June, the Iowa Attorney Disciplinary Board told the Iowa Supreme Court that it was ready to file disciplinary charges against attorney Daniel F. Wiechmann Jr. of Hampton, and that it expected to a formal complaint against him with the Grievance Commission of Iowa Supreme Court immediately after the board’s next quarterly meeting.
The board argued that because the procedural rules governing attorney disciplinary matters “include built-in delays” related to the filing of an answer, the discovery process, hearings, briefings, etc., Wiechmann’s license should not remain active throughout the time-consuming process.
“Wiechmann pleaded guilty to three separate instances of sexual misconduct involving two different child victims,” the board told the court. “He is unfit to practice law and his continued practice damages the integrity of the profession in the eyes of the public.”
Wiechmann, who is 74 years old, had argued there was no need for an emergency suspension of his law license and said he should be allowed to retire rather than have his license suspended by the court.
The court sided with the Attorney Disciplinary Board and suspended Wiechmann’s license based on his convictions. The suspension is expected to remain in effect until the anticipated disciplinary charges are addressed by the court.
Wiechmann has previously told the court he expects to retire this year. However, Iowa Judicial Branch records indicate he has yet to surrender his license and it remains in “suspended” status.
Wiechmann, a Republican, served as Franklin County’s elected county attorney from 2009 to 2014.
In July, he pleaded guilty in Dallas County District Court to a misdemeanor charge of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. That charge resulted in a suspended jail sentence, two years of probation and a 10-year “special sentence” that typically results in supervised form of release such as parole or work release.
Also in July, Wiechmann pleaded guilty in Polk County District Court to a misdemeanor charge of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse and misdemeanor indecent contact with a child. He was placed on probation for two years, concurrent with the probation in the Dallas County case, and given a two-year suspended prison sentence. A charge of indecent exposure was dismissed.
A Franklin County case in which Wiechmann was charged with indecent exposure and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse was dismissed by prosecutors.
Court records indicate the offenses that led to the criminal charges date back to 2014 and all involve victims who were known to Wiechmann at that time.
Other attorney disciplinary actions
Other Iowa attorneys who have faced sanctions in recent months include:
— Daniel James Vondra of North Liberty, who was publicly reprimanded by the Attorney Disciplinary Board. The board had argued that Vondra’s wife had made multiple demands of a medical provider called the Facial Rejuvenation Center and that she made those demands on behalf of the Vondra Law Office. Vondra’s wife, who is not an attorney, allegedly claimed the center had violated the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act while asserting that she co-owned a medical malpractice law office.
Vondra told the board that “anyone with common sense” would realize Vondra Law Office had nothing to do with his wife’s claims. When asked about an email his wife had sent warning the center to “be ready for a records request from VLO,” Vondra pointed out that no such request was ever filed. The board concluded Vondra was aware his wife was holding herself out as a staff member of his law office and failed to act.
— Kim Roddick of Galena, Ill., who was publicly reprimanded by the board following a disciplinary procedure that initially resulted in a private admonition. Roddick had contested the admonition, arguing the matter should have been dismissed, which led to another review of the matter by the Attorney Disciplinary Board.
After the review, the board affirmed its conclusion that Roddick had allowed a probate case to become delinquent and that she then failed to respond to board communications on the matter. A few days before the review took place, another delinquency notice in the probate case was filed. As a result, the board not only refused to dismiss the private admonition, it opted to impose the public reprimand.
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