The Iowa Supreme Court has taken action this afternoon to at lease temporarily prevent former Iowa basketball player Pierre Pierce from going overseas to play professionally. Pierce pleaded guilty to assaulting an ex-girlfriend three-and-a-half years ago.
Pierce served about a year in prison and he has two years worth of probation left. The attorney general is arguing there’s nothing spelled out in the law that would allow an individual on probation to leave the country. Pierce has signed a contract to play basketball for a pro team in France and the attorney general says there is "no effective means" for a probation officer to supervise Pierce while he’s in France.
The Iowa Supreme Court has granted a temporary stay, which means Pierce is in limbo until his lawyer and the state’s prosectors settle this in court. Pierce was kicked off the University of Iowa basketball team after that 2005 assault in West Des Moines. Pierce had assaulted another woman in Iowa City. Former coach Steve Alford gave Pierce a chance to come back on the team, but kicked him off the squad after that second assault.