Charles City woman sentenced to suspended prison term in child injury case

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City woman has been sentenced to a suspended prison sentence and five years probation after pleading guilty to a reduced charge regarding alleged injuries to her then-4-month-old child.

Madison Marie Geerts, age 20, and the child’s father, Ezekiel Isaac Larson, age 23, also of Charles City, were both charged with child endangerment causing serious injury, Class C felonies.

Geerts had filed a written plea of guilty in July to a charge of child endangerment resulting in bodily injury, a Class D felony.

The maximum prison sentence for a Class C felony is up to 10 years. The maximum penalty for a Class D felony is up to five years.

Geerts was sentenced Tuesday in Floyd County District Court.

Judge Blake Norman mostly went along with the sentencing recommendation by the Floyd County Attorney’s Office that had been part of the plea agreement.

Norman sentenced Geerts to an indeterminate term in prison not to exceed five years, suspended; and a fine of $1,025 plus 15% surcharge, also suspended.

But Norman sentenced Geerts to five years of probation under the supervision of the Iowa Department of Corrections, rather than the three years probation that had been recommended in the plea agreement.

Norman also ruled that Geerts had the ability to pay full restitution and up to $1,700 in court-appointed attorney fees and court costs.

Geerts had indicated in the plea agreement that she would request a deferred judgment, but that was not part of Judge Norman’s order filed in Floyd County District Court.

Larson, the father, has also indicated he will change his plea from not guilty.

A plea hearing for Larson had originally been set for June 26, but has been delayed twice and is currently scheduled for Sept. 18 in Floyd County District Court.

According to information filed in Floyd County District Court, their child received “severe injuries to his head” while Larson was the sole caretaker on Sept. 6, 2022. Medical attention was not sought for four days, while the child had been vomiting, not eating or sleeping, the criminal complaint alleges.

Geerts was accused of knowing about the injury and also not taking action for four days.