Former Iowa prosecutor rebuked over beating

A former Iowa prosecutor who had sex with a client and then physically beat her should be barred from practicing law for at least four years, according to a state commission that oversees lawyers.

In a strongly worded written recommendation, the Grievance Commission of the Supreme Court of Iowa has denounced former Madison County prosecutor Anthony Zane Blessum, 56, for his lack of remorse and said his actions "typify the domestic-assault defendants he used to prosecute."

The commission found that Blessum neglected his duties on behalf of a client; that he had sex with the client; that he committed a crime that reflects adversely on him as a lawyer; and that he used fees paid by the client before those fees were earned. The commission is recommending that the Supreme Court suspend Blessum's law license indefinitely, with no possibility of reinstatement for four years.

Blessum's attorney, Kent Gummert, said his client is disappointed in the commission's findings, but looks forward to the Supreme Court's review of the case.

"Mr. Blessum is a good man, and the issues addressed in this matter reflect an aberration in an otherwise stellar legal career," Gummert said.

In November 2012, The Des Moines Register wrote a Page One report about the incident between Blessum and his client and the fact that charges had not been filed. Charges were filed two months later.

Blessum was hired to handle divorce

Court records indicate that in October 2008 Melissa Stender, now 46, hired Blessum to represent her in a divorce from her husband. Blessum agreed to take the case, although he had previously represented Stender's husband in other legal matters.

Blessum charged Stender a flat fee of $1,000, which he deposited into a trust account. Eight days later, before doing any work on the case, Blessum withdrew the entire $1,000, according to the commission.

In early 2009, as part of the divorce settlement, Blessum agreed in writing to secure for Stender $110,000 from her husband's retirement plan. But it wasn't until August 2011 that Blessum filed the necessary paperwork to secure the $110,000, the commission found.

In March 2011, Stender visited Blessum's office to consult on her will. According to the commission, Stender and Blessum acknowledge that they began an intimate, sexual relationship within hours of that visit.

On the night of June 11, 2012, Waukee police received a 911 call from Blessum's house. Police records show that on the tape of the call, a woman could be heard crying and saying, "Please, let me go. ... I beg you to let me go."

A man could be heard on the tape saying, "Get out, get out of here," "You bit one of my fingers" and "I didn't want to hurt you."

When officers arrived, Blessum said Stender had broken into his house and swung a frying pan at him. He told officers that the two had quarreled and that the confrontation had become physical when she attempted to take some prescribed medication because of an oncoming panic attack.

According to the officers' report, Blessum told police he was a married man going through a midlife crisis. Stender was treated at a local hospital for numerous injuries, including a black eye, a lacerated lip, bruised hips and scratches on her neck, arms and legs.

Initially, officer files no charges in case

Officer Derrick Spoerry's police report detailed how he determined that no charges would be filed against either Blessum or Stender.

"I spoke with on-call (Assistant) County Attorney Chuck Sinnard and explained the situation to him," Spoerry wrote in the police report. "I advised him of all the details. Chuck advised to not make an arrest at this point and to write up the case and he will review it and decide on charges."

After the Register's report, Blessum was initially charged on Jan. 14, 2013, with misdemeanor assault causing injury and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. As part of a plea agreement with the Iowa attorney general's office, the latter charge was dismissed, and Blessum was given a one-year suspended jail sentence, with probation, after pleading guilty of assault causing injury. He was also sentenced to seven days in jail with credit for one day already served, and he was ordered to pay $6,988 in victim restitution.

Five months after Blessum's sentencing, the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board filed a complaint against him, alleging misconduct. Four months ago, a hearing was held before the Grievance Commission. Last week, the commission issued its disciplinary recommendations to the court.

Commission cites his lack of remorse

The commission was dismissive of Blessum's argument that Stender was partly to blame for the actions that led to his conviction and the disciplinary board's complaint, stating that Blessum "chose to repeatedly assault" Stender.

"The facts speak for themselves, as do the photographs of (Stender's) injuries," the panel said.

At the hearing, Blessum defended himself by citing his service as the Madison County attorney from 1987 through 1997. The commission, however, said Blessum's actions belied his experience as the county's top law enforcement officer.

"After sending (Stender) to the hospital, he continued to contact her in a romantic fashion," the commission said in its recommendation to the court. "The fact that he had not been arrested, and that a no-contact order was not in place, did not provide a basis for his post-assault behavior. His actions during and after the assault more accurately typify the domestic-assault defendants he used to prosecute. This panel finds that his experience as a prosecutor is a particularly troubling, aggravating circumstance."

The commission cited Blessum's "consistent lack of remorse for his conduct," and said it was particularly disturbed by his "cavalier attitude" toward the ethics charges against him.

The commission recommends that before Blessum be allowed to apply for reinstatement of his law license, he undergo a mental health evaluation that includes anger-management treatment.

The Supreme Court's decisions on discipline typically are made several months after the Grievance Commission makes its recommendations.