Charges dismissed against former county deputy

WASHINGTON — Former Washington County Deputy Robyn Hoppman was arrested in February after an altercation with her significant other, and by March was charged with domestic abuse and assault according to court documents from the county.

After a bench trial last week through the state’s eighth judicial District Court, Judge Joel Yates dismissed all charges against Hoppman with prejudice, meaning they cannot be filed again in that court.

In his ruling, Yates said the state’s prosecution — represented by Louisa County Attorney Adam Parsons — failed to identify Hoppman as the incident’s perpetrator.

“The State of Iowa made absolutely no effort whatsoever to identify this Defendant on the record,” the judge’s order said. “The identification of the Defendant cannot be presumed.”

Still, the order to dismiss charges said prosecutors would have failed to meet other burdens of proof if charges weren’t dropped.

Yates wrote that the court found Hoppman’s testimony more credible and less vague than the opposition’s, and said the state’s opposing witness accounts were inconsistent with photographic evidence.

The court also found law enforcement’s handling of the domestic dispute unsatisfying. Washington County officers called for Iowa State Patrol assistance to investigate the scene in February, citing Hoppman’s position as a co-worker as a conflict of interest. The troopers that arrived, however, had no experience with domestic disputes according to the court document, and one was recorded saying, “I do not know what to ask.”

“You could tell that (State Patrol) Trooper Anderson was still uncomfortable with his involvement with this case due to his lack of experience in investigating domestic disputes like this one,” the ruling said. “Somehow, prior to entering the house, Trooper Anderson had made the decision as to who was the primary aggressor, and that was Robyn. We know this because he indicated he wanted to talk to both, but he only Mirandized Robyn.”

Other comments in the judge’s order said the court found no motive for a claimed attack by Hoppman, and said the former officer’s record spoke for itself.

“To the contrary, Robyn has been an exemplary employee for years in law enforcement,” the decision reads. “Her sole criminal record, based on the record made, is a single speeding ticket … All evidence points to (Hoppman’s partner) being the one upset with Robyn and not the other way around.”

The court agreed with prosecutors that Hoppman was “belligerent and not cooperative” with officers on the scene, but said that was far from sufficient to prove guilt.

“The Court believes that Robyn’s explanation as to embarrassment and being intoxicated go a long way to explaining why she said and did things she now regrets,” the ruling said. “With that said, being belligerent does not help the State prove any of their elements they are required to prove.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com