A prosecutor says a judge has dismissed a fraud case against a man elected as mayor of the town of Elma. Vern Smith was elected in November but resigned before taking office after being charged with fraudulent practices.
He filed to run despite a conviction that makes him ineligible to hold elected office. Smith was convicted of sexual abuse in Illinois in 1990. Howard County Attorney Alex Koenigs says Smith believed his rights were restored when he came to Iowa according to Illinois law.
But Smith needed to go through the state of Iowa to have those rights restored before running for office. Koenigs says a judge has now dismissed the case.
By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City
