Dubuque County Attorney reprimanded by Disciplinary Board

The Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board reprimanded Dubuque County Attorney Scott Nelson over a claim that he mishandled criminal documents. According to a letter of public reprimand from the disciplinary board, Nelson failed to turn over a client file to a former client, Jarrell Johnson, and his new attorney. Nelson was Johnson’s defense attorney in 2021, which predated his election as county attorney. Johnson was sentenced in November to 18 months in jail for a series of assaults on law enforcement officers, on top of previous sentences for domestic assault, driving while barred, contempt and violation of probation charges. According to the letter from the disciplinary board, Nelson was reprimanded in July. He did not file an exception following the reprimand, according to a subsequent order from September.