Last week, a man from Cedar Rapids was found guilty of causing the death of an Iowa City resident whom he unintentionally shot outside of a hookah bar in 2022.
According to court documents, Scotton, who was 19 at the time, was taken into custody in November 2022, following his participation in a violent altercation that originated inside a hookah bar. Witnesses corroborated Scotton’s involvement in the incident, identifying him as the individual who physically assaulted a woman, causing her to fall and lose consciousness. The shooting occurred outside the bar.
According to a criminal complaint, Scotton and another individual were leaving the H-Bar when they were confronted by Thomas and a friend regarding the previous assault. Thomas punched Scotton, which led to a physical altercation between all four individuals involved.
As the altercation ensued, Thomas’ companion accidentally dropped a firearm which Scotton quickly retrieved and started shooting. Amidst the chaos, people scattered in different directions, but unfortunately, Thomas was hit by one of the bullets. According to the complaint, the projectile even managed to penetrate the wall of the H-Bar.
The sentencing date for Scotton has been set for August 9th in Johnson County District Court. He could face up to 10 years in prison.
Ruling restrict’s hookah bar’s hours
After the shooting incident, the city took legal action by filing a nuisance abatement petition against the property. The property had experienced a surge in serious incidents and an increase in calls for service, which prompted the city to take action.
Police records show that 220 S. Van Buren St. has received 23 calls for service from 2016 to 2021. However, between Jan. 1 and Oct. 23, 2022, the address received a staggering 173 calls for service.
In December 2022, the city filed for a temporary injunction to restrict the bar’s operating hours. As per the agreement reached between the owners and the city, the bar would close and have no customers inside after 2 a.m. Moreover, the owners have also consented to allow Iowa City police officers to enter during open hours to perform essential “community caretaking functions.”
As per the city, the agreement was only temporary and would be effective until a long-term solution was found.
In May 2023, the H-Bar owners who run Groundwork were held in contempt for violating the temporary injunction on four different occasions.
The owners were instructed by the judge to pay a sum of $2,000 as a sanction for the four violations, with each violation costing them $500.
According to an order filed by 6th Judicial District Judge Ian Thornhill, the violations occurred on January 1st, March 4th and 5th, and April 9th of an unspecified year.
The owners of Groundwork, namely James Miller, Katrell Sykes, David Sykes, and Malik Maxwell, have been directed to cover all expenses linked to the contempt proceedings.
The violations were warranted due to the hookah bar remaining open past 2 a.m., as stated in court documents.
A default judgment was granted against Groundwork and JFMC, also known as Pregame Lounge, on July 2 by a judge. The defendants failed to file answers regarding H-Bar being a public nuisance in response to an amended petition, leading to the judgment being granted in favor of the city.
In a recent ruling, Judge Christopher Bruns of the Sixth Judicial District has declared that Groundwork and Pregame Lounge’s operation of a hookah bar during the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. is a public nuisance. Additionally, the companies have been permanently banned from operating any similar hookah lounges or establishments within Iowa City during those hours.
