515-284-5737
I focus on civil rights, appeals, personal injury, and criminal defense (both state and federal). It is important to me to make things right if someone has been injured or treated unfairly. I believe that the rules apply to everyone and I am not afraid to hold people—including police officers—accountable when they violate someone’s rights. I have a particular expertise in cases that involve constitutional rights, like the right to free speech or the right to be free of illegal seizures and searches.
I really care about my clients and appreciate that they are often under a lot of stress. I make sure my clients are informed about what is happening and the plan forward to help relieve at least some of that stress. I typically deal with complex problems that impact my clients’ lives in extremely serious and interconnected ways. I’m able to navigate those difficult situations to find the best outcome. I am hardworking and do not give up even when the deck is stacked against me.
Before joining the Parrish Law Firm, I worked closely with several judges. I worked for Judge Mary Tabor on the Iowa Court of Appeals, Justice Thomas Waterman on the Iowa Supreme Court, and Judge Stephanie Rose in the Southern District of Iowa federal court. Through these experiences, I gained valuable insight into how Iowa judges decide cases.
Originally from Oskaloosa, Iowa, I attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. At TCU, I participated on the TCU Track & Field team, where I ran the 400 meter hurdles and 800 meter races. I am a very disciplined person and I think that is largely due to participating in athletics at a high level. After TCU, I came back to Iowa and earned my law degree from the University of Iowa. I now live in Des Moines with my husband, Alex, and our two children. My parents still live in Oskaloosa, and I enjoy frequent visits back to Southern Iowa.
Gina was profiled by local community organization, Just Voices, regarding her civil rights and police accountability work. Watch the interview here.
Civil Rights:
- $800,000 for wrongful arrests during George Floyd protests: Gina successfully represented 14 people in a four-year fight for justice after they were wrongfully arrested after the George Floyd protests.
- $875,000 to family illegally detained at police station: Des Moines paid Gina’s clients $875,000 to settle their claims that they had been unconstitutionally detained when they had done nothing wrong. The officers violated Gina's clients’ constitutional rights by refusing to let them go to the hospital to be with their dying family member.
- Jury finds in favor of woman pepper-sprayed at George Floyd protest: Des Moines paid $150,000 after a jury found an officer violated Gina's client's First Amendment rights by pepper-spraying her in the face while she was peacefully participating in a George Floyd protest.
- $100,000 for LGBTQ exclusion: Gina recovered $100,000 for her clients, who were members of a local LGBTQ group that was excluded from participating in a city parade in violation of the First Amendment.
- $100,000 to news photographer for wrongful arrest: Gina proudly represented a photojournalist who was tackled, pepper-sprayed and arrested while covering the George Floyd protests.
- $45,000 to man illegally detained by Des Moines officers: Des Moines paid Gina’s client $45,000 to resolve his claim that he was detained in handcuffs even though officers knew he did not pose any safety threat
- $75,000 civil rights settlement: Gina settled a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of two African-American men who were wrongfully stopped by Des Moines Police.
- Open records act violation - body camera: A judge agreed with Gina that the Des Moines Police Department spokesperson violated the Iowa Open Records laws by refusing to turn over body camera video. The court fined Sgt. Paul Parizek and ordered DMPD to turn over the records.
- Open records act violation - Use of Force reports: The Iowa Supreme Court agreed with Gina that Use of Force reports are open records and ordered the Des Moines Police Department to turn the reports over to Gina's client.
- Iowa Civil Rights Act lawsuits: Gina has successfully represented many people in cases with violations of the Iowa Civil Rights Act. This includes things like wrongful termination and wrongful denial of service.
- Gina has successfully represented many clients in wrongful death lawsuits.
- Gina has successfully represented many people who were injured in car accidents.
- Gina has successfully represented many people who were bit by dogs.
- Gina has successfully represented many people in defamation lawsuits.
- Gina has successfully represented many people in breach of contract lawsuits.
- Interviews suppressed in murder case: Gina convinced a district court to throw out 4 statements given by Gina’s client because officers violated the client’s rights.
- Case dismissed due to constitutional violation: A Polk County judge dismissed a criminal charge against an African American man represented by Gina. The judge agreed with Gina that the man should never have been approached by police to begin with, and so the police had violated the man’s Fourth Amendment rights.
- Not guilty verdict: A jury returned a Not Guilty verdict on charges of disorderly conduct and interfering with officers. Gina's client was a community activist who was arrested for participation in protests against an anti-transgender speaker who visited the University of Iowa.
- Free Speech acquittal: A judge found Gina's client was protected by the First Amendment and he did not commit the crime of Disorderly Conduct when he spoke at a city council meeting.
- Not guilty verdict: Gina represented Cameron Lard, who was arrested allegedly in connection with the George Floyd protests. The court acquitted Gina's client because the prosecution did not prove that Lard had violated any law.
- Not guilty verdict: Gina represented a man who was arrested while observing one of the George Floyd protests. The judge acquitted Gina’s client, finding the prosecution did not prove he had failed to comply with an order to disperse.
- Not guilty verdict: A Polk County jury deliberated for only 15 minutes before finding Gina’s client Keilon Hill not guilty of harassment of a public official. Mr. Hill was canvassing for a political candidate in West Des Moines when a local resident reported him as a “suspicious person.” Mr. Hill repeatedly asked the responding officer if he had broken any laws and received no answer. The officer arrested Mr. Hill after Mr. Hill asked the officer to leave him alone and walked away. The jury agreed with Gina that asserting your right to be left alone is not a crime.
- Murder conviction overturned: Gina represented a young woman who was convicted of killing her toddler and was serving a life sentence. Gina overturned the 1st degree murder conviction. The judge granted a new trial because Gina was able to establish that the client’s trial attorney made several serious errors at the client’s first trial.
- Case dismissed because of Stand Your Ground: Gina represented a man who fired a warning shot because he thought people were poaching on his farmland. The prosecutor agreed to dismiss the case, recognizing that the defendant was justified under Iowa’s Stand Your Ground and defense of property laws.
- Not guilty verdict based on defense of property: Gina represented a woman who pepper-sprayed her neighbor because the neighbor repeatedly destroyed the woman’s landscaping. Gina argued to a jury that the woman was justified in her actions because Iowa law allows a property owner to use force to defend their property. The jury found Gina’s client not guilty.
- Rape charges dropped: A young man was charged with sexual assault and was getting nowhere with his first attorney. He switched to Gina and Gina was soon able to uncover evidence that the accuser had a history of falsely claiming rape. After that evidence was discovered, the prosecutor dismissed the charge.
- Client released from life sentence: A federal court sentenced Gina’s client to life in prison for a relatively minor methamphetamine offense. This was back in 2007, when the laws against methamphetamine were even harsher than they are today. Gina became involved in the case in 2020 and argued to the court that her client should be granted compassionate release due to health issues. The court agreed and reduced the client’s life sentence to a sentence of time served, meaning he was released after only 14.5 years and got his life back.
- Gina’s client reinstated to office: Gina represented a County Attorney who was removed from office due to alleged misconduct. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled there was insufficient reason to remove Gina’s client from office and ordered that he be reinstated as County Attorney.
- Interview suppressed in murder case: A Polk County judge threw out the interview of Gina’s client because the detective did not read her client his Miranda rights and then ignored her client’s request to stop the interview.