A Quad City man caught cooking up methamphetamine in a Davenport daycare is headed to prison, after a judge reversed a controversial decision that let him avoid it the first time around.
Dale Blumer was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison Thursday at the Scott County Courthouse. Admitting he made meth at his girlfriend's home daycare on West 60th Street in Davenport, he was originally sentenced in June to probation.
Prosecutors filed a motion for a sentencing "correction", and on Thursday, Judge Nancy Tabor re-sentenced Blumer on meth and child endangerment charges, admitting some legal errors were initially made in the case.
"The court will correct its sentence at this time and order the portion of the sentence which allowed you to have the sentence suspended and placed on probation, is hereby, revoked", said Judge Tabor.
"My reason for the sentence is, these are very serious crimes", she said.
Blumer's girlfriend and daycare provider, Amanda Taylor, was sentenced last month to up to ten years in prison, for exposing children to the dangerous drug.
Taylor's ex-husband, Freddie, came to court to make sure justice was served this time around.
"I came here to see justice served the right way, because the first time, it was an injustice", he said. "If we as a civilized society can't protect our children, who can?, " he said.
Taylor says two of his four children were exposed to the meth-making at the home, and looking back, he says, he thought they just had colds, and had questioned why they lingered.
"Runny noses, a headache, a cough, sore throat, cold-like symptoms. It's infuriating. The father in me says the man should be locked up and thrown away forever", he said.
He says he is taking caring of all four of his children and they are now doing very well.
As for Blumer, the actual length of his prison sentence will be determined by Iowa prison officials.
"When you're released depends on the Department of Corrections, not this court, said Judge Tabor.