Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, the lead plaintiff in an abortion case now before the Iowa Supreme Court, attended Tuesday’s oral arguments after bypassing the public entrance to the Judicial Branch Building and entering the secure area where the justices maintain their private offices.
On Wednesday, Molly Kettmeyer, the counsel to Iowa Supreme Court’s chief justice, notified all of the lawyers in the case as to what transpired. She noted that “neither the justices, Supreme Court staff, or Judicial Branch Building security, knew or gave permission for the governor or the Iowa State Highway Patrol to access the Supreme Court’s non-public office space at or about the time their case was set for oral argument.”
Kettmeyer’s letter indicated that “at no other time did the justices and the court staff have contact with parties to the cases heard” on Tuesday.
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Video of the oral arguments appears to show Reynolds seated in the front row of the gallery facing the justices as they heard arguments in the case.
The case that was argued involves Reynolds’ efforts to have the courts set aside an injunction that is preventing the state from enforcing the so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill that sought to ban abortions in Iowa after the sixth week of pregnancy.
Kettmeyer’s letter states that immediately before the oral arguments in the abortion case were scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., Reynolds, her security and her staff were all “in the Supreme Court’s secured, non-public office space.”
The Iowa State Patrol provides security for Reynolds and the Iowa Judicial Building.
“Unbeknownst to the Supreme Court or Judicial Branch staff, the patrol used their Judicial Branch Building security access to enter the Judicial Branch Building and escort Gov. Reynolds to the fourth floor in non-public elevators. Presumably, they did so for a security-related reason of their own,” the letter said.
“Upon reaching the fourth floor, Gov. Reynolds, the Iowa State Highway Patrol and the governor’s staff walked down the secure hallway where the justices have private offices and a conference room to enter the Supreme Court courtroom.”
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Kettmeyer’s letter was sent not only to the lawyers in the abortion case, but also to the lawyers in another case that was argued Tuesday morning. That case involves the Iowa State Highway Patrol and is tied to a lawsuit filed by a former state law enforcement officer who alleges he was fired for reporting a speeding vehicle that was traveling at 90 mph on an Iowa highway. The vehicle in question was carrying Reynolds and then-Gov. Terry Branstad, and was driven by a trooper employed by the patrol.
The governor’s staff did not respond to questions about why Reynolds chose to attend Tuesday’s oral arguments in person, which were being livestreamed by the court.
Her deputy communications director, Kollin Crompton, said that “due to legitimate security concerns, and at the direction of Iowa State Patrol, Gov. Reynolds was escorted through the non-public entrance and elevator of the courtroom. After exiting the elevator on the 4th floor, the governor went directly to the courtroom and had no contact or conversation with any justices or staff members of the court.”
This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
On Wednesday, Molly Kettmeyer, the counsel to Iowa Supreme Court’s chief justice, notified all of the lawyers in the case as to what transpired. She noted that “neither the justices, Supreme Court staff, or Judicial Branch Building security, knew or gave permission for the governor or the Iowa State Highway Patrol to access the Supreme Court’s non-public office space at or about the time their case was set for oral argument.”
Kettmeyer’s letter indicated that “at no other time did the justices and the court staff have contact with parties to the cases heard” on Tuesday.
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Video of the oral arguments appears to show Reynolds seated in the front row of the gallery facing the justices as they heard arguments in the case.
The case that was argued involves Reynolds’ efforts to have the courts set aside an injunction that is preventing the state from enforcing the so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill that sought to ban abortions in Iowa after the sixth week of pregnancy.
Kettmeyer’s letter states that immediately before the oral arguments in the abortion case were scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., Reynolds, her security and her staff were all “in the Supreme Court’s secured, non-public office space.”
The Iowa State Patrol provides security for Reynolds and the Iowa Judicial Building.
“Unbeknownst to the Supreme Court or Judicial Branch staff, the patrol used their Judicial Branch Building security access to enter the Judicial Branch Building and escort Gov. Reynolds to the fourth floor in non-public elevators. Presumably, they did so for a security-related reason of their own,” the letter said.
“Upon reaching the fourth floor, Gov. Reynolds, the Iowa State Highway Patrol and the governor’s staff walked down the secure hallway where the justices have private offices and a conference room to enter the Supreme Court courtroom.”
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Kettmeyer’s letter was sent not only to the lawyers in the abortion case, but also to the lawyers in another case that was argued Tuesday morning. That case involves the Iowa State Highway Patrol and is tied to a lawsuit filed by a former state law enforcement officer who alleges he was fired for reporting a speeding vehicle that was traveling at 90 mph on an Iowa highway. The vehicle in question was carrying Reynolds and then-Gov. Terry Branstad, and was driven by a trooper employed by the patrol.
The governor’s staff did not respond to questions about why Reynolds chose to attend Tuesday’s oral arguments in person, which were being livestreamed by the court.
Her deputy communications director, Kollin Crompton, said that “due to legitimate security concerns, and at the direction of Iowa State Patrol, Gov. Reynolds was escorted through the non-public entrance and elevator of the courtroom. After exiting the elevator on the 4th floor, the governor went directly to the courtroom and had no contact or conversation with any justices or staff members of the court.”
This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
