**DUBUQUE, Iowa — On June 5, 2025, at approximately 4:10 PM, Kenneth James Hess, a 36-year-old white male, was taken into custody at 770 Iowa St., Dubuque, by Officer D.C. Kramer of the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department. Hess is currently facing two felony charges: tampering with a witness through intimidation and contempt for breaching a no-contact or protective order.**
**This arrest is a culmination of multiple alleged offenses that occurred on April 24, 2025, as outlined in criminal complaints filed by the Peosta Iowa Police Department. Hess has been charged with domestic abuse assault (third or subsequent offense) and domestic abuse assault that impeded airflow or blood flow, resulting in bodily injury—both of which are classified as Class D felonies. Furthermore, he faces charges for operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent, categorized as an aggravated misdemeanor, and operating while under the influence (first offense), which is a serious misdemeanor. A contempt charge for violating a no-contact or protective order, linked to an incident on May 31, 2025, has also been filed against him.**
**Court documents reveal that a no-contact order was issued on April 25, 2025, by Judge Robert J. Richter, in addition to a $10,000 cash appearance bond, with a preliminary hearing originally scheduled for May 5, 2025. Hess entered a plea of not guilty and waived his preliminary hearing on May 19, 2025; a pretrial conference is set for July 14, 2025, with a jury trial slated for July 22, 2025. On June 5, 2025, Judge Richter ordered the issuance of a public/bench warrant, and an order for discovery was signed by Judge Thomas A. Bitter.**
**Hess sought court-appointed legal counsel on April 25, 2025. Attorney Matthew Louis Noel filed a motion to withdraw from representing him on June 3, 2025, while Attorney Robert Joseph Murphy filed a motion for discovery on June 4, 2025. Additionally, 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.**
