Appeal raises $150,000 for girl ordered to pay family of accused rapist she killed
Source: The Guardian
Appeal raises $150,000 for girl ordered to pay family of accused rapist she killed
Judge had ‘no other option’ but to impose restitution on human trafficking victim given probation with risk of 20 years’ prison
Richard Luscombe and agencies
Wed 14 Sep 2022 18.09 BST
First published on Wed 14 Sep 2022 06.38 BST
Donors to a GoFundMe appeal have raised enough money to pay the $150,000 restitution an Iowa court ruled a teenage human trafficking victim must pay to the family of her accused rapist, whom she stabbed to death.
Pieper Lewis, 17, was originally charged with first-degree murder in the June 2020 killing of 37-year-old Zachary Brooks of Des Moines. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter and willful injury, both punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
On Tuesday a Polk county district judge, David M Porter, deferred those prison sentences. If Lewis violates any portion of her probation, she could be sent to prison to serve that 20-year term.
As for being required to pay the estate of her rapist, “this court is presented with no other option”, Porter said, noting the restitution is mandatory under a state law that has been upheld by the Iowa supreme court.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/14/girl-who-killed-accused-rapist-must-pay-his-family-150000
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Source: Associated Press
Iowa teen who killed rapist sentenced, ordered to pay $150K
By MARGERY A. BECK
September 13, 2022
A teenage human trafficking victim who was initially charged with first-degree murder after she stabbed her accused rapist to death was sentenced Tuesday in an Iowa court to five years of closely supervised probation and ordered to pay $150,000 restitution to the man’s family.
Pieper Lewis, 17, was sentenced Tuesday after she pleaded last year to involuntary manslaughter and willful injury in the June 2020 killing of 37-year-old Zachary Brooks of Des Moines. Both charges were punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Polk County District judge David M. Porter on Tuesday deferred those prison sentences, meaning that if Lewis violates any portion of her probation, she could be sent to prison to serve that 20-year term.
As for being required to pay the estate of her rapist, “this court is presented with no other option,” Porter said, noting the restitution is mandatory under Iowa law that has been upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-iowa-des-moines-human-trafficking-0b11cb8f4f0ff46d90ae17ece6bc7d15
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