Pratt reports to Story County Jail to serve time
June 18, 1997
Kenny Pratt, former Iowa State starting basketball player, reported to the Story County Jail in Nevada Wednesday morning to serve four days in jail required by the judgment handed down by Story County Judge Steven Van Marel in April.
Sgt. Dave Leckwa, second-shift commander of Story County Jail, confirmed Pratt’s arrival.
“Pratt will be released on the 21st. He already has jail credit for the night of his arrest,” Leckwa said.
The decision, handed down April 9, was in response to events on the night of Dec. 28. Police reports stated Pratt was in an accident while driving a Pontiac Grand Am rented by Audis Gardner from a Des Moines rental car service. Court reports stated he was traveling at 55-60 mph when he crashed into a car, owned by Jessica Lee Geisler of Perry, that was moving at 7-11 mph.
After being questioned by police, he was given a Breathalyzer test, which he failed. Pratt later claimed this was due to some Nyquil cold medicine he had taken earlier in the evening. Van Marel ruled the day before the trial that the results of the Breathylzer test were inadmissable.
Reports stated Pratt allegedly assaulted Ames police officer Rory Echer, knocking his teeth loose.
When the case came to trial in April, Pratt struck a deal with Story County Attorney Mary Richards and agreed to lesser charges. In return, Richards asked Van Marel for a sentence of four days in jail and a $600 fine plus surcharges.
Pratt has until Aug. 9, 120 days from the date of the decision, to pay his fines. The days in jail are divided up evenly into consecutive sentences for serious assault and interference in official acts. The fines were $250 each for the assault and interference charges and $100 for reckless driving.
Ames police chief Dennis Ballantine, who said at the time of the sentencing in April, “We are very disappointed that there will be no trial,” was not available for comment Wednesday.