DUBUQUE, Iowa — On June 5, 2025, at approximately 4:10 PM, 36-year-old Kenneth James Hess, a white male, was apprehended at 770 Iowa St. in Dubuque by Officer D.C. Kramer of the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department. Hess is currently facing two felony charges, including tampering with a witness through intimidation and contempt for violating a no-contact or protective order.
This arrest is connected to a series of alleged offenses that took place on April 24, 2025, as outlined in criminal complaints filed by the Peosta Iowa Police Department. These complaints include charges of domestic abuse assault (third or subsequent offense) and domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury by impeding air/blood flow, both categorized as Class D felonies. Additionally, he is charged with operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent, classified as an aggravated misdemeanor, and operating while under the influence (first offense), a serious misdemeanor. Furthermore, a contempt charge was filed for violating a no-contact or protective order following an incident on May 31, 2025.
Court documents reveal that a no-contact order was issued on April 25, 2025, by Judge Robert J. Richter, along with a $10,000 cash appearance bond. A preliminary hearing was originally set for May 5, 2025. Hess pleaded not guilty and waived his preliminary hearing on May 19, 2025, with a pretrial conference scheduled for July 14, 2025, and a jury trial set for July 22, 2025. On June 5, 2025, Judge Richter ordered the issuance of a public/bench warrant, while Judge Thomas A. Bitter approved an order for discovery.
Hess requested a court-appointed attorney on April 25, 2025. On June 3, 2025, Attorney Matthew Louis Noel submitted a motion to withdraw as counsel, and Attorney Robert Joseph Murphy filed a motion for discovery on June 4, 2025. Concurrently, the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department initiated contempt proceedings on June 4, 2025.
It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
