The Iowa Supreme Court has agreed to review a lower court’s decision to overturn the conviction of a man who was accused of kidnapping and molesting a toddler in Des Moines. James Effler is serving a life sentence for the incident at the old downtown Des Moines Library in the fall of 2005.
The 35-year-old Effler was accused of luring a two year old girl away from her baby sitter and locking himself and the girl inside a bathroom. Officials broke in to find the toddler had been stripped of her clothes.
A jury convicted Effler, but his lawyer appealed – saying police ignored Effler’s request for an attorney while he was being questioned. The Iowa Court of Appeals ordered a new trial in April of this year. The state appealed and now the Iowa Supreme Court has agreed to review the ruling.