Updated: 9:37 AM CST January 30, 2021
HIAWATHA, Iowa The Linn County Attorney says no one will be charged in the shooting death of a Hiawatha man that also wounded three other people.
Joshua Lathrop died in May at a shootout at a mobile home in Hiawatha.
Friday, County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden decided the people who shot Lathrop were acting in self-defense.
Investigators say two brothers carrying weapons went to the trailer park after hearing a woman had been attacked.
An intoxicated Lathrop confronted the brothers and hit one of them. A gun battle involving up to 25 shots ensued and Lathrop was shot.
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Starting next month, some Linn County defendants accused of possessing small amounts of marijuana may be able to avoid a criminal record, under a new diversion program. But there are concerns the program's restrictions may reinforce racial disparities.
CEDAR RAPIDS First-time, low-level marijuana offenders could avoid significant punishment under a program announced Monday by the Linn County Attorney’s Office.
The Marijuana Diversion Program, which starts Friday, is designed for new offenders found in possession of a user quantity of marijuana and who face a simple possession charge in Linn County.
The goal, said County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden, is to divert first-time marijuana offenders away from drugs and keep them out of the criminal justice system.
“We’re trying to strike a balance here between accountability, in terms of enforcing the law, but we also want to make an effort at giving first-time offenders a chance at rehabilitation and exoneration,” Vander Sanden said. “That’s what this program is all about trying to find and strike the right balance.”