Pieper Lewis GoFundMe soars past $150,000 she must pay estate of accused rapist she killed

[SharonClark]

The big question: Can money raised by GoFundMe be used to pay for restitution under Iowa law? If not, it can certainly be used for all her other needs like legal fees, school costs, and housing.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have poured into a fundraising site for a human trafficking victim convicted of killing the man she said repeatedly raped her. A GoFundMe fundraiser created to support 17-year-old Pieper Lewis raised more than $350,000 from about 8,500 donations as of Thursday.

Lewis pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and willful injury for stabbing to death Zachary Brooks, 37, who she says raped her multiple times in 2020 when she was 15. During a sentencing hearing Tuesday, she received five years of probation and a deferred judgment, meaning her record could be expunged if she meets the conditions of her sentence.

Leland Schipper, who taught freshman math to Lewis at Des Moines Lincoln High School, organized the fundraiser in part to help cover the restitution she legally owes Brooks' estate.

But Lewis' attorneys say they must determine whether Iowa law would allow the donated money to be used to pay the $150,000 in court-ordered restitution.
. . .

More details:
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2022/09/14/pieper-lewis-gofundme-des-moines-sex-trafficking-victim-alleged-rapist-zachary-brooks/10372929002/

Another background article: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2022/09/15/pieper-lewis-zachary-brooks-sex-trafficking-iowa-teen-gofundme/10373479002/

[msfiddlestix]

1. I'm sorry wtf? The State is engaged in extortion in my eyes,

[underpants]

4. It's the law in Iowa

See the link in my post below.

The Judge (Porter) said his hands were tied but then felt the need to add this

“The next five years of your life will be full of rules you disagree with, I'm sure of it," Porter said. He later added, "This is the second chance that you've asked for. You don't get a third."

[underpants]

2. I posted about her sentence yesterday and was informed of this GoFundMe pagr

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217156016

I’m glad people are helping out.

[Justice]

3. me too. Great news.

[SharonClark]

5. GoFundMe now at $374,016

I hope her high school teacher who started it can work with Pieper and her lawyers to set her on a better path.

[ret5hd]

6. Convert it to loose change, put it all in a garbage sack(s)...

and say “take it or leave it”. Call the local news to film/document the payment. Demand a receipt.