(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a man was arrested at around 12:40-a.m. Saturday (Feb. 10), for Public Intoxication. Authorities say 52-year-old Philip Luke Turner, of Elliott, was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 bond.

OMAHA, Nebraska (KCRG) – A new report focused on deportation hearings in one immigration court finds there’s a lack of due process for immigrants.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska observed more than 500 hearings in the Omaha immigration court. About 40 percent of the removal proceedings in the court involve people living in Iowa.

According to the report, judges routinely compromised the due process rights of immigrants. The report outlines four specific areas: judges failing to consistently advise people of their rights, deficient interpretation services, a high number of cases without attorney representation, and the short duration of hearings – often lasting fewer than four minutes.

“As the backlog grows bigger and bigger every day, it has not been going down, you can imagine there’s pressure to get things done quicker. However, our constitutional rights cannot be affected by that. An immovable object that simply cannot be infringed on for the sake of expediency,” said ACLU of Nebraska Legal Fellow & lead author of the report Dylan Severino.

The report’s recommendations range from small adjustments, such as using telephone interpretation services whenever needed, to large actions by Congress, such as passing comprehensive immigration reform and reestablishing the immigration court system as an independent court system rather than a Department of Justice function.

The report also suggests state and local governments consider creating programs to guarantee legal representation in immigration court proceedings.

To view the full report, click HERE.

JEFFERSON, Iowa (KCAU) — The lawyer for a man accused of kidnapping his son and leading to a standoff is asking for court proceedings to be suspended so the court can determine his client’s mental capacity. Mark Rasmussen, the lawyer representing Brandon Duong, 34, filed a motion to determine competency Thursday. In the filing, Rasmussen wants to have Duong’s mental capacity determined as he said that he believes Duong “is not able to assist in his defense.

He added that he doesn’t believe Duong is “able to perform the reasoning and/or judgment necessary to consider pleas or to make decisions.” Rasmussen states that Duong suffers from a mental disorder, limiting him from understanding his charges, assisting the defense counsel, or understanding the proceedings. As such, the defense is asking for the court to suspend proceedings so the court can see if Duong is fit to stand trial.

Duong faces charges of second-degree kidnapping – armed with a dangerous weapon, a Class B felony, and violation of custodial order – relative, a class D felony. The charges stem from an incident on Jan. 30. On that day, authorities said that Duong kidnapped his son from Jefferson and sparked a state-wide Amber Alert.

Later that day, Duong’s vehicle was later spotted by law enforcement in Woodbury County, leading to a pursuit into Cherokee and Plymouth counties. Duong later crashed east of Remsen. While armed with a rifle, he allegedly fled into a field with his son, court documents state.

During the standoff, Duong allegedly carried his son over his shoulders while officers had their guns drawn. A criminal complaint also accuses him of “using [his son] as a shield and a hostage” during the standoff. Officers eventually found Duong in the field and, after an hours-long standoff, took him into custody.

A release from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office stated that Duong was a non-custodial parent. The Iowa State Patrol said in a release the night of the incident that a Dec. 2023 court order restricted Duong from having custody of his son.

Duong pleaded not guilty during a preliminary hearing. He is currently scheduled for an arraignment hearing on Feb. 19.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI} — A woman authorities call a person of interest in a Minnesota homicide is in jail right now in Iowa.

Arlene Bell, 32, was taken into custody on unrelated charges in Dallas County following a traffic stop Monday, Feb 5th, on Interstate 80 near Van Meter. She faces several drug and alcohol charges, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm and theft.

The Faribault (Minnesota) Police Department posted a news release on its Facebook page that the traffic stop in Iowa occurred before Gary Lehmeyer, 70, was found dead. Bell, who authorities say was in a “domestic relationship” with Lehmeyer at the time of his death, was driving his car when she was stopped in Iowa.

“Faribault detectives have worked with the Iowa State Patrol to take custody of Lehmeyer’s vehicle and transported it to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) in St. Paul for forensic processing,” according to the post.

“Faribault detectives have worked with the Rice County Attorney’s Office to issue a warrant for Bell’s arrest and extradition on a charge of Motor Vehicle Theft once her Iowa case is resolved. This remains an open and active case as we await forensic testing results and further investigation.”