The Iowa Public Information Board
COMES NOW, Charlotte Miller, Executive Director for the Iowa Public Information Board (IPIB), and enters this Dismissal Order:
On April 1, 2026, David Woods (Complainant) filed formal complaint 26FC:0098, alleging that Muscatine County (Respondent) violated Iowa Code Chapter 22.
Facts
Complainant mailed a letter requesting to file a complaint against the Muscatine County Jail. He claimed that he previously requested two incident reports and they had not been produced.
This complaint relates to the same set of facts present in an earlier case, 25FC:0190. That case concerned the same requests made by Complainant of Muscatine County. The complaint in that case was brought on November 20, 2025 and facially dismissed by IPIB on February 19, 2026 because it was filed well outside the sixty-day window for reviewing the allegations.
Applicable Law
“The board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A providing for the timing, form content, and means by which any aggrieved person, any taxpayer to or citizen of this state, the attorney general, or any county attorney may file a complaint with the board alleging a violation of chapter 21 or 22. The complaint must be filed within sixty days from the time the alleged violation occurred or the complainant could have become aware of the violation with reasonable diligence. All complaints filed with the board shall be public records.” Iowa Code § 23.7.
“Upon receipt of a written complaint alleging a violation of Iowa Code chapter 21 or 22, the board shall either: a. Accept the complaint, following a review of the allegations on their face, having determined that the complaint is within the board’s jurisdiction, appears legally sufficient, and could have merit; or b. Dismiss the complaint, following a review of the allegations on their face, having determined that the complaint is outside the board’s jurisdiction, appears legally insufficient, is frivolous, is without merit, involves harmless error, or relates to a specific incident that has previously been disposed of on its merits by the board or a court. Iowa Administrative Rule 497-2.1(2).
Analysis
The information before IPIB indicates that this complaint was previously disposed of on February 19th when the complaint was facially dismissed. It was determined IPIB did not have jurisdiction over the allegations because they were made well outside the filing deadline and when a reasonable person would have been made aware of the violation. This matter should be facially dismissed because it was previously disposed of on its merits.
Conclusion
Iowa Code § 23.8 requires that a complaint be within the IPIB’s jurisdiction, appear legally sufficient, and have merit before the IPIB accepts a complaint. Following a review of the allegations on their face, it is found that this complaint does not meet those requirements.
The allegations underlying the complaint have already been disposed of by a Facial Dismissal on February 19, 2026.
IT IS SO ORDERED: Formal complaint 26FC:0098 is dismissed as legally insufficient pursuant to Iowa Code § 23.8(2) and Iowa Administrative Rule 497-2.1(2)(b).
Pursuant to Iowa Administrative Rule 497-2.1(3), the IPIB may “delegate acceptance or dismissal of a complaint to the executive director, subject to review by the board.” The IPIB will review this Order on May 21, 2026. Pursuant to IPIB rule 497-2.1(4), the parties will be notified in writing of its decision.
By the IPIB Executive Director,
_________________________
Charlotte J.M. Miller, J.D.
CERTIFICATE OF MAILING
This document was sent on June 5, 2026, to:
David Woods, Complainant