HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-22-1998 ArticlesPage 3A
oca Wednesday,
December 16,
Iowa City Press -Citizen 1998
Council defers
decision on PCRB
By Trevor R. Maxwell
The Press -Citizen
For the third time in as many
months, the Iowa City Council
Tuesday
JoWa City deferred the
consideration
of Police Citizens Review
Board procedures and guide-
lines.
The section of the city code
that establishes the PCRB also
requires that rules be approved
by the City Council, The PCRB
is an independent public body
formed in 1997 to review cui..an
complaints.
Councilors decided Tuesday
that more discussion regarding
the PCRB's proposed operating
guidelines is needed before any
action.
"We'll need to meet wish
(PCRB) again before makin_
any decisions;" said council
member Dean Thomherry.
The PCRB adopted ,,uide-
lines at a Sept. 15 meeting and
recommended on Oct. 6 that the
city approve them.
Consideration was deferred on
Oct. 20 and Nov. 17.
In a related item, council
members unanimously amend-
ed the PCRB ordinance, elimi-
nating complaintant participa-
tion in due process name -clear-
ing hearings.
City Attorney Eleanor
Dilkes recommended the
change because complaintant
participation interferes with
constitutional due process.
"We believe the purpose is to
provide a due process hearing
for the officer;' Dilkes said.
"This is not another opportunity
for the complaintant and the
officer to be in the same room:'
Dilkes said mediation
between officers and complain-
tants is offered by the police
department. The council could
consider the issue again at its
Jan. 12 meeting.
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�'ONDAY
tc(The-Johnson County
Attorney's Office) was excellent
(raining for being a defense
attorney. You learn !tow all the
parts work. � �
Doug Russell
Attorney's
community
i.ommitment
Doug Russell keeps
husy schedule with
public service
By John Kenyon
Gasna aalson County Bil
IOWA CITY — Doug Russell
sals everyone has an obligation
u perform public service.
For local attorney Russell, tol-
r%mg that credo makes for a
nosy schedule.
Russell, 49, Is involved with
NEWSMAKER
cmy high profile eRorts, in-
,loding historic preservation,
the city's Police Citizen Review
tnard and the Johnson County
,miner, Committee for the
ourthorse rededication -
All of that is in addition to
uussell's work on criminal and
loll cases as part or the Stein,
huxsell and Posh law firm. But
I::esIs sans at the notion that
s extraordinarily busy
1'nt not alone," he said "We
ill have busy days"
Russell came to lawfrom ara-
a- Boa in Chicago and
1 lend in nearby Elmhurst Ill
to
I, ,odhiss to Iowa in ,al in
rely history and political s
e at Grinnell College.
II, was stuto he teach
h ,,it d I'll.. t. W,
I W'
Y Il al t 'nil I w n1e,
All -kd 6
U - m 19'!1 Hill
endt ,d, three ye the
and vm} Slope
dp n Europa.
to rind na,o of or ns
r.
• ,bass: Iowa CM
e Aga: 49
• nuwtlan: vanrer at sourp
Busse, ana Pugh law I
e Hamtown: Elmhurst It.
e Eaucailme Bachelor's Slogan tam
Grinnell College, law degree from be
umversty M Iowa.
e Family: Single
e Interests Seal W ore
Al collecbag EookS, 614 loons.
friends had entered law school,
and was persuaded to follow
them.
lie enrolled in the University
of Iowa Copege of law in 1975,
emerging with a law degree in
19I8. Russell said it was his
work with the law school's Sri
dent Legal Services that got him
hooked on law.
"1 enjoyed the problem -soh,
Ins aspect of it, he said"From
there I never looked back-"
Russell wanted to stay In Iowa
City, and the Johnson County
Attorneys OfTice provided that
opportunity- lie joined as an
assistant poorly attorney, line-
[,, sh" two years for private
pn'ti
His goal as alwaysto move
Into private 1[ 'tie. but, Rus-
sell d. his t with the
county attorney s invaluable
s.
91 xeolllat I among fill
being a difeyse attorney," he
-all. Yen art, how all the
pars w,,k
Serving community
Public service work keeps
attorney Doug Russell's
schedule full, 2
Doug Russell, a partner at Stein, Russell anal Pugh law Ilrm, Is a member of the Johnson County Centenary Commission and Is the
counsel for tM clty's Pollee Cuban Review Board. Russell also is a Winton Churchill scholar, and Is working on a book about the late
British prime minister'* warty years.
Russell has been a member of
his comers[ firm for 15 years,
splinting his time between criml-
ral and civil cases.
Because his interests go be-
yond the law, Russell has tree,
involved in several other eRorts
over the years. His interest In
history led to his work with the
Historic Pr,servatlon Coal
sion and the Centenary Commiswhlle an interest to the
newly formed Police Citizen Re-
view Board (PCRS) led him to
apply to be that groups paid
mply el.
Russell served , tl If t
Preservatton Con ........
.. from
19M to 1999 much of that tine
as chairman- He Said he is
pruud of the way p e r,atean
eff,rd expanded in the coy dur-
ing do, time on the c -.
Itot hlspe a,1l tors( :den
led Russell to his latest effort as
a member of the Centenary
Commission. That group is pre-
paring for a rededication of the
Johnson County Courthouse in
21 L
"Ifs enjoyable to preserve the
history of a building that you
work in every day:' he said.
Russell's work with the PCRB
gives him a chance to sit in on
history in the making. The
group is the first such conned In
Iowa. and Russell has been
along at every step os the hmaal
defines its role. adIesing the
boned on Iepl t ll1 to.
cedures.
It's Lech interesting loolm:
first day, he said The, -rally
are in w prrhav
What free Ion 111ss,11 hoc
r ard all.. tho,, P. I
,,and, srid,,n, the rr and
work of Winston Churchill. He
became Interested in the late
Britoil Prime Minister while
studying history.
"i got interested by reading
his books:' Russell said. "AS a
student or politics and history, 1
bumped up against him repead-
edly "
Russell's interest has led nt
one short book about Churchill's
awards and a second book. In
pro,.,. about Churchill's thou
n the British Ann,. Rues,ll
also Serves on the M1nercl of
g sto, ❑ Churchill Can
t Washhyt D(.
'1 thick he 11 I t 1
n t v' R II 'I.'Ih
,I all ',iq& tl coura,I ... 11,
if test
Ih of Itlliml m, I,ht s.und
a5„
Whoa Im ,II u kne, 11
Churchillrelatedprojects. Rus-
sell likes to take bike odes,
travel and collect books -
Perhaps surprisingly, Russell
hasn't developed a deep interest
n the movies . He certainly is
exposed toin,,,, a daily
basis, as his odice, upstairs
frm, the kinglert Theatre looks
out over the long, lighted anic
quiet, on Washington 31rm1.
Itut apart rrom the smell at
fresh popcorn during matulees
and the red glcu 01'Ihe marque,
late right nl Wr nmre
Russell said hr h used on the
clatillo
1 1 I xd. it i :I moro
-sl , f h'nt R - 1 dnw
dowt bullion, b,lf
it I doexatevve
. it,s 1 c Idingc."
b ,osale ' it, ) ' minnow
ins