Iowa Judge Arrested on Vehicular Homicide Charge a Day After Voters Retained Her
An Iowa judge was arrested on two felony charges Wednesday, just one day after voters approved keeping her on the bench for another six years.
District Associate Judge Lynn Poschner, 45, faces charges of homicide by vehicle and serious injury by vehicle after a crash that struck two pedestrians in Urbandale on September 25.
Court documents allege Poschner was looking at her phone before her 2016 Honda CR-V hit the pedestrians as they crossed in the 4300 block of 86th Street.
One of the victims, 60-year-old Urbandale resident Jasmira Kadic, died October 28 from her injuries. The other person was seriously injured. Both were taken to a hospital in critical condition after the crash.
READ MORE: Missouri Democrat Anthony Ealy Arrested in Jefferson City a Day After Election
Kadic's death more than a month after the crash turned the September incident into a fatal case, leading to the more serious homicide charge.
What She Told Police
According to the criminal complaint, Poschner told officers she had not seen the pedestrians before hitting them, and that she had been using her phone and looking down at the screen before the impact.
Investigators examined the device and found evidence that its screen was unlocked just before the collision. Iowa Public Radio reported that Poschner told police she tapped her phone to adjust audio playing through her vehicle.
Homicide by vehicle is a Class C felony in Iowa, while serious injury by vehicle is a Class D felony. Both charges involve allegations of reckless driving. The alleged distraction is expected to be central to the case prosecutors now pursue.
Poschner was booked into the Polk County Jail on Wednesday. Court records show her $15,000 cash bond was paid, and a bail bond appearance is scheduled for November 11.
Voters Had Just Kept Her on the Bench
The timing of the arrest has drawn attention. On Tuesday, nearly 69% of voters approved retaining Poschner, according to unofficial results cited by Iowa Public Radio, granting her a new six-year term.
READ MORE: Former St. Louis TV Anchor Angelynn Mock Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing Her Mother
Unlike a contested race, Iowa's retention elections simply ask voters whether a sitting judge should stay in office. Judges have no opponents, and a majority of yes votes allows them to serve another full term.
Iowa adopted its nonpartisan merit selection and retention system through a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 1962, emphasizing professional qualifications followed by periodic votes on whether to keep judges.
Poschner serves as a District 5C associate judge in Polk County. She joined the bench in May 2018 after working in private practice, and graduated from Drake Law School in 2007. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 2003.
Case Handed to State Prosecutors
The Iowa Judicial Branch says Poschner is taking time off and her pending juvenile cases are being reassigned to other judges.
Because of concerns about a potential conflict of interest, the Polk County Attorney's Office said the Iowa Attorney General's Office will handle the prosecution.
As with any criminal case, the charges are allegations, and Poschner has not been convicted. The case will now move forward with state attorneys prosecuting a sitting local judge.
For the family of Jasmira Kadic, the case is about accountability for a crash that turned deadly more than a month after it happened.