The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Jefferson County Sheriff Bart Richmond in a high-profile case involving placement on a Brady-Giglio list.
In a unanimous decision issued Friday, the court upheld a lower court ruling ordering Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding to remove Richmond from the list.
The case stems from a 2024 incident involving a sheriff’s deputy and a use-of-force review that led Moulding to question Richmond’s credibility and add him to the list — a designation that can limit an officer’s ability to testify in court.
Richmond challenged that decision under a 2024 Iowa law allowing officers to seek judicial review. A district court found that while Richmond’s actions lacked transparency, they did not amount to dishonesty.
On appeal, Moulding argued the law itself was unconstitutional, claiming it interfered with prosecutorial duties and violated due process. The Supreme Court rejected those arguments, ruling the law only governs the list itself — not a prosecutor’s obligation to disclose evidence in individual cases.
The court also found the law does not violate separation of powers and declined to consider an additional vagueness argument, saying it had not been properly raised earlier.
The decision confirms that Iowa law enforcement officers have the right to challenge their placement on Brady-Giglio lists in court, while prosecutors still maintain their duty to disclose credibility concerns when required.
Following the ruling, Sheriff Richmond said in a statement that the decision “speaks for itself.”