Continuance marks another delay for Rosien case

WASHINGTON — A court order posted by Judge Joel Yates Friday morning marked the third round of rescheduling for Washington Mayor Jaron Rosien’s court case on charges of third degree sexual abuse. A pretrial conference scheduled for Friday morning is now set for Nov. 9, and the jury trial reset from Oct. 24 to Nov. 14.

In a court document requesting the continuance, Rosien’s attorney, Eric Tindal, said he would, “be in another county and unavailable for the pretrial conference,“ on Oct. 6, and asked to move the dates back by 30 days.

The state, which is prosecuting the charges against Rosien, did not resist Tindal’s motion.

The postponement means at least another month of waiting for a trial that was initially scheduled in July. Some elected officials have expressed frustration with the longer-than-anticipated wait, whether privately or publicly.

City Council Member Elaine Moore called for Rosien’s resignation at the first council meeting after charges were announced. Her opinion has not changed in the months since.

In a phone call Friday morning, she said the continued lack of a resolution was affecting city operations.

“With us not having a leader, as designed in our city government, it’s very difficult for the employees, very difficult for the council, to get their business done,” she said. “It’s not fair to our citizens, to continue this way.”

Rosien is on an unpaid leave of absence, but still holds the office of Washington’s mayor. While Iowa law permits a court to remove him from that position if he’s found guilty, it makes no stipulations about holding office while awaiting trial. A city policy that would allow a mayor’s removal for any “actions and involvement that might prove embarrassing for the city” passed unanimously in May, but cannot be applied retroactively.

Rosien has pleaded not guilty to the allegation, which is a Class C felony. His accuser, identified as “AB” in a partially redacted affidavit released by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, claims that Rosien made unwanted sexual contact with him at a bar owned by the mayor in January of this year.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com