At the July 22 meeting of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors, the supervisors received updated information on assistant Clarke County Attorney Johanna Olson’s role for the county in criminal cases following the resignation of county attorney Adam Ramsey on July 12.
Previously at their July 9 meeting, the supervisors approved 2-0 (supervisor Dean Robins was absent) to fill Ramsey’s vacancy by appointment. The supervisor have 40 days from July 12 to appoint someone as county attorney who lives in Clarke County and holds a valid Iowa law degree. If the 40 days pass with no appointment, the supervisors can hire an attorney from within the state of Iowa for a 60 to 90 day employment period. Until such a time, Olson and the Iowa Attorney General’s office were providing assistance on cases, but concern was had if Olson would continue to be able to access case files to file trial information and to prosecute them.
To clear up the situation, an administrative order from Chief District Court Judge: District 5C Michael D. Huppert re-indexed Ramsey’s cases to Olson, allowing her to continue to prosecute cases, as allowed in Iowa Rules of Criminal Procedure 2.5. The section states that any prosecutor has the ability to file trial information and continue to prosecute on behalf of the county, as she’s been sworn into the bar and is currently working for the county. Clarke County Attorney administrative assistant Chris Dorsey said there are about 50 to 56 case files in Ramsey’s name that will be transferred to Olson as prosecutor.
No action was needed by the supervisor to approve Olson as acting county attorney, as the vacancy was not caused by illness, absence or disability. The supervisors will continue to look for an individual to appoint to the county attorney position, or employ once the 40-day appointment period has passed.
An appointed attorney would serve until the canvas after the general election in November.