Review hearing in Mindy Jones arson case rescheduled again

For a second consecutive month, a review hearing for the purpose of scheduling a jury trial has been granted a continuance and has been rescheduled in the arson case against Mindy Jo Jones stemming from the February 13, 2022 fire that destroyed two businesses on the initial block of Allamakee Street in Waukon. A July 1 date has now been set for a third attempt at setting the jury trial date following a motion filed by Jones’ public defender, Aaron Hawbaker of Waterloo, Friday, May 4 in Allamakee County District Court.

A Monday, May 6 date for such a review hearing in Allamakee County District Court had been scheduled to try and set the trial date after an initial April 1 review hearing for that purpose was also granted a continuance (and rescheduled to May 6) following the sentencing of Jones March 29 in Fillmore County, MN to a 27-month incarceration after her conviction on several counts of felony theft in that state. Now that Jones has recently begun her incarceration in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Shakopee, MN, the motion for continuance Hawbaker filed May 4 indicates he needs time to try and meet with Jones to further discuss the arson case prior to any review hearing.

In his motion, Hawbaker specifically states that he “now knows her specific location and needs time to arrange visits/phone calls,” further noting that his “schedule necessitates a continuation of the review hearing to enable those communications.” An order issued May 4 by First Judicial District Court Judge Richard Stochl in response to Hawbaker’s motion granted the continuance, now scheduling Jones’ review hearing for Monday, July 1 at 10 a.m. in Allamakee County District Court.

In addition to the sentence she is currently serving in Minnesota on felony theft charges, Jones is also scheduled for a May 20 hearing and August 5 trial in Fillmore County (MN) Court on another 33 counts of theft and forgery for allegedly stealing and cashing or depositing more than $37,000 worth of checks. Those charges stem from her actions in 2021.

In her ongoing Allamakee County case, Jones is facing charges of First Degree Arson and Animal Abuse in connection with the February 13, 2022 fire that destroyed her Tin, Rust and Harmony business located at 9 Allamakee Street in Waukon and killed a dog that had been living in an apartment above the business, along with destroying an adjacent business building and damaging several other buildings on that same initial block of Allamakee Street.