Scott County Deputy faces OWI charge
By William Rodriguez
A special prosecutor is sought in the case of a 35-year-old Scott County Deputy who faces a charge of operating under the influence – first offense, according to court documents.
The incident
About 3:18 a.m. Dec. 1, a Scott County Sheriff’s Deputy requested assistance with a traffic stop in the area of 240th Avenue and 257th Street in rural Princeton, according to arrest affidavits. An Iowa State Trooper arrived at the scene and spoke with the deputy, who said he stopped a black 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The van was registered to the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, affidavits say.
The deputy said the driver, Christopher P. Carter, “was a deputy with their agency” and he wanted the trooper to speak with him. The trooper did, and alleges in affidavits that Carter “had bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet.”
“Carter had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath,” the trooper alleges in affidavits. “Carter did not wish to answer questions but did wish to conduct Standardized Field Sobriety Testing,” affidavits show. During the test the trooper saw “multiple validated clues indicating impairment.”
On Wednesday, Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane confirmed Carter was working his shift on Dec. 1 and that Carter is on administrative leave.
Scott County Attorney Kelly G. Cunningham has applied for a special prosecutor because the Scott County State’s Attorney’s Office has a conflict of interest, or potential appearance of a conflict, in the matter, court records show.
“Attorney ethics and disciplinary rulings suggest that when the County Attorney has a conflict of interest, that prosecutor must withdraw from the case,” court documents say.
Muscatine County Attorney James Barry “has indicated that he or a designated assistant from his office would be wiling to serve in such capacity,” court records say.
