The Henry County Board of Supervisors has approved reimbursing $30,540 in attorney fees to Deputy Carlos Lopez following his successful legal challenge over his placement on the Brady-Giglio list.
The reimbursement stems from an itemized affidavit of legal expenses submitted to the court by Lopez’s attorney, Charles Gribble. After reviewing the affidavit, the court ordered Henry County to pay $30,540 to Lopez, finding the attorney fees to be reasonable.
The reimbursement was made possible by a recent change in Iowa law. Following the court’s original ruling in Lopez’s favor, the Iowa Legislature passed House File 2797, amending Iowa Code Section 80F.1(25) to require courts to award reasonable attorney fees, expenses and court costs when an officer successfully challenges placement on a Brady-Giglio list. The law was made retroactive to proceedings occurring on or after July 1, 2021, allowing it to apply to Lopez’s case.
The reimbursement will be paid from the Henry County Attorney’s budget. During Thursday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, County Attorney Becky Wilson told supervisors her office is already over budget and that paying the reimbursement will require a budget amendment.
The $30,540 reimbursement is higher than Lopez’s original request because it reflects the final itemized legal expenses submitted to the court by attorney Charles Gribble.
Earlier this year, the Henry County community rallied behind Lopez, raising approximately $7,200 through a GoFundMe campaign to help with his legal expenses.
During public comment, one resident also asked whether Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee would be eligible for reimbursement after a lawsuit filed against him was ultimately found to be unfounded. No action was taken on that question, and no definitive answer was provided during the meeting.
KILJ will continue to follow the case and any future budget amendments related to the reimbursement.