James Vance, a former Mason City School District bus driver, faced 46 counts of child endangerment during his first court appearance yesterday. The 44-year-old is alleged to have driven intoxicated with 23 students on board, as reported by WLWT. Vance pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from an incident on May 30, which marked the last day of classes for the previous academic year.
Jeff Meadows, Vance's attorney, submitted the not guilty pleas, while a district spokesperson detailed how an employee from the transportation department, responding to Vance smelling of alcohol, immediately reported it. According to the public records that Mason School District released and acquired by WLWT, Vance had told leaders that he consumed four beers before 10:30 p.m. the night before, attributing the smell of alcohol to his Stage 4 liver disease, claiming it produced a discharge on his skin.
Additional details from Local12 News explained that Vance completed a morning route with ten high school and 21 early childhood center students before being alerted to the alcohol smell. The court now forbids Vance from contacting the students who were on the bus that day.
During the hearing, a list of victims was presented to the court, with the prosecution requesting a no-contact order for Vance. "Your honor, the state has provided a list of victims to the court and would ask for a no-contact order," said the prosecutor, as reported by FOX19. Judge Joseph Kirby granted the request, emphasizing that Vance should not contact any of the 23 victims or their families in any manner. Speaking briefly outside the courtroom, Meadows stated, "We entered a not guilty, and we'll continue to pursue the not guilty."
