(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
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Court suspends lawyer’s license over false allegations of child sex abuse [1]
['Clark Kauffman', 'More From Author', '- November']
Date: 2023-11-26
The state of Iowa has suspended the license of a central Iowa attorney who has been sanctioned on eight prior occasions.
The Iowa Supreme Court has suspended the law license of Alexandra Maria Nelissen of Clive for six months due to her actions in two family-law cases. Court records indicate Nelissen admits that in one of the cases, she falsely informed the court that various investigations had suggested her client’s ex-husband might be sexually abusing his child.
According to the Iowa Attorney Disciplinary Board, Nelissen waited several weeks before filing a petition to modify a divorce decree in one of the two family-law cases. She then failed to serve the opposing party and failed to schedule mediation even though the case involved an urgent matter pertaining to a child left in the care of an apparent drug addict.
Nelissen also concealed from her client the court’s subsequent dismissal of the case, even after her client requested a refund and copies of any documents she’d filed in the case. According to the disciplinary board, Nelissen falsely informed her client mediation had been scheduled and a new hearing was coming up and did so in an effort to “conceal her mismanagement” of the case. Nelissen then failed to respond to board inquiries on the matter.
In the other family-law case, Nelissen filed statements with the court suggesting a man was sexually abusing his son when she knew such claims were untrue. The board alleged she told the court there had been “a forensic investigation, DHS investigations, therapeutic work, and statements made by the child that all indicate some form of assault has occurred.” According to the board, Nelissen was aware that no such investigation or therapeutic work concluded any form of assault had occurred.
Nelissen admitted to all of the allegations in an affidavit consenting to the suspension of her license.
Court records show Nelissen has an extensive history of disciplinary action, including one private admonition, five public reprimands, one administrative suspension, and one 30-day suspension.
Although the court imposed a six-month suspension, the Attorney Disciplinary Board had recommended a 90-day suspension.
Other attorney disciplinary cases
Other Iowa attorneys who have faced sanctions in recent months include:
— Steven Kohl of Sioux City, who was accused of being negligent in the handling of seven separate probate cases, which led to the issuance of numerous delinquency notices. The disciplinary board notified Kohl a formal investigation would be opened if he failed to certify that the delinquencies had been addressed. After Kohl failed to respond, the board initiated a disciplinary investigation, and in August of this year, Kohl provided an affidavit consenting to a suspension of his law license for up to 60 days.
In acknowledging his actions, Kohl told the board he had been dealing with serious financial difficulties, the relocation of his office, and death of a secretary. In proposing a suspension of Kohl’s license, the board cited as aggravating factors his experience as an attorney, the number of cases involved, and Kohl’s history of disciplinary action.
In September 2018, Kohl was given a private admonishment for neglecting a conservatorship case and charging a client for time spent responding to an ethics complaint on the matter. In July 2019, he was publicly reprimanded for neglecting an estate and for a conflict of interest in a separate matter. In July 2022, Kohl was publicly reprimanded for his neglect of four guardianship cases.
On Oct. 6, the Iowa Supreme Court suspended Kohl’s license for 30 days. On Nov. 3, the Attorney Disciplinary Board, which had recommended a 60-day suspension, filed an objection to the reinstatement of Kohl’s license. The objection appears to be based on the board’s determination that Kohl has not complied with all of the requirements related to the notification of clients and others when a suspension is imposed.
Iowa Judicial Branch records indicate that as of Nov. 22, Kohl’s license remains suspended.
— Gina Jorgensen of Hampton, who in recent years established general-practice law offices in both Hampton and Iowa Falls. State records indicate the Attorney Disciplinary Board is investigating three separate complaints against Jorgensen that date back to 2022, although the precise nature of the complaints has yet to be disclosed.
According to the Iowa Supreme Court, Jorgensen did not to respond to any of the board’s inquiries in those matters. On Sept. 6, 2023, the court clerk issued a notice that Jorgensen’s license would be suspended unless she contacted the board within 20 days. One of the notices was confirmed as delivered, while another was returned as “unclaimed.”
Effective Oct. 25, Jorgensen’s license to practice law in Iowa is suspended. This suspension will continue until she pays a reinstatement fee, the board files a withdrawal of its notice of noncompliance, and the court enters an order reinstating the license.
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