A Des Moines Register sports reporter was booked into the Polk County Jail Sunday morning after authorities say he violated a no-contact order stemming from a harassment charge filed earlier this year. Tommy Birch, who covers sports for the paper, was arrested in Des Moines, Iowa, according to court documents.
The arrest followed a warrant filed on October 30, according to KCCI, which first reported the case. Birch was taken into custody Sunday morning and booked into the Polk County Jail before later posting bail.
Harassment Charge Dates Back to April
The no-contact order traces back to a second-degree harassment charge filed against Birch in April, per the station's report. Birch received a deferred judgment in that case and was sentenced to one year of probation, the outlet notes.
It was the alleged violation of the no-contact order connected to that earlier case that led to Sunday's arrest, the same account states. The underlying conduct that prompted the original harassment charge, along with the specific terms of the no-contact order, has not been detailed in reporting on the case.
What Iowa Law Says About Violations
Under Iowa law, violating a no-contact or protective order can carry penalties ranging from contempt to a simple misdemeanor, according to Iowa Legislature code. The statute does not specify in the available excerpt how those provisions apply to Birch's case.
The Des Moines Register had not responded to a request for comment from KCCI as of its report. Birch is identified as a sports enterprise and features reporter at the paper.
