Representing Yourself in Court as a Pro Se Defendant

Please Note

This page is intended for defendants with standalone (not tied to an indictable case) SIMPLE MISDEMEANOR cases that do not have a defense attorney assigned to the case.

NOTICE TO SELF-REPRESENTED (PRO SE) DEFENDANTS:

The Office of the Johnson County Attorney is responsible for the prosecution of criminal cases on behalf of the State of Iowa. 

By law, this office cannot provide legal advice to private parties, including self-represented (pro se) defendants.

We strongly encourage you to consult with a licensed attorney before deciding to represent yourself. A licensed attorney can answer questions, provide an independent opinion on the facts of your case, identify legal defenses that may not be obvious to a non-lawyer, and represent your interests in all Court proceedings. 

If you choose to proceed without an attorney, you will be held to the same procedural and evidentiary standards as a licensed lawyer and must comply with all Iowa Court Rules and procedures. Failure to do so may result in the loss of important legal rights or the dismissal of your claims. 

Learn more about representing yourself in court. 

Please direct pro se simple misdemeanor discovery requests to:
[email protected] 

Disclaimers:

*Requests for video discovery may take up to 3 weeks or longer depending on the amount of discovery requested, other priority pending requests, and factors beyond the control of the Johnson County Attorney's Office, such as workload and staffing issues with our law enforcement partners. Please understand that we are doing our best to comply with more frequent and voluminous video requests than our resources sometimes permit us to comply. 

*Any discovery is being provided pursuant to Iowa Rules of Criminal Procedure 2.14(1) and (2). Be advised that counsel and/or counsel's agents or employees are prohibited from disseminating discovery containing protected information, as defined in Rule 16.602, Iowa R. of Elec. Pro., to any person, including another party, a witness, the defendant, and a witness or defendant's family, friends, or associates without prior authorization from the Court. 

*Information on this web page is general in nature. This information is not intended as legal advice. If you do not understand this information, or if you need legal advice, you should consult with a licensed attorney.