Inquiry finds mistakes in OWI break given to Iowa prosecutor

By RYAN J. FOLEY
Associated Press

An Iowa investigation has found that sheriff’s deputies erred when they did not investigate a neighboring county prosecutor for drunk driving after encountering her intoxicated in her car on the side of a highway one night in 2019. Critics have questioned whether assistant Jackson County Attorney Amanda Lassance received special treatment in the incident, which began when her then-boyfriend called 911 to report she had fought with him on the drive home from a casino and was in a car parked along Highway 61. An inquiry by the Office of Ombudsman found Clinton County deputies ended their OWI investigation prematurely because of a misunderstanding of the law, driven by inadequate training and supervision.