Editing Newton, Iowa (section)

==Government==
Newton is administered by a mayor and a six-person city council. The mayor is elected to a term of two years. Newton's current mayor is Michael Hansen. His predecessor was Charles 'Chaz' Allen.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} The city council consists of one member elected from each of Newton's four wards and two members elected at-large. The council members are elected to terms of four years. Regular meetings of the city council are held on the first and third Mondays of each month at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

===Civil rights violations===
The government in Newton has come under scrutiny for alleged civil rights violations against citizens exercising their [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] rights, including arresting and [[Indictment|indicting]] a man for disorderly conduct after criticizing the police department during a city council [[Public consultation|public comment]] session.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kauffman |first=Clark |date=2023-10-12 |title=City sued for arresting man who criticized Newton mayor and police |url=https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/10/12/city-sued-for-arresting-man-who-criticized-newton-mayor-and-police/ |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=Iowa Capital Dispatch |language=en-US}}</ref> The Newton Police Department is also facing federal lawsuits for allegedly conducting false arrests and violating [[Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourth Amendment]] rights after videos surfaced of a college student being arrested and extensively interrogated in a police station on alleged charges of [[driving under the influence]] despite passing both [[Field sobriety testing|field sobriety]] and [[breathalyzer]] tests on the motorway.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kauffman |first=Clark |date=2023-10-02 |title=After traffic-stop video goes viral, Newton police sue citizen for defamation |url=https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/10/02/after-traffic-stop-video-goes-viral-newton-police-sue-citizen-for-defamation/ |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=Iowa Capital Dispatch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roscoe |first=Jules |date=2023-10-19 |title=Cops Are Suing a Teen for Invasion of Privacy After Allegedly False Arrest Goes Viral |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/cops-sue-teen-invasion-of-privacy-false-arrest/ |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=Vice |language=en}}</ref>

===State and federal facilities===
The [[United States Postal Service]] operates the Newton Post Office.<ref>"[http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/newton-215-s-2nd-ave-e-newton-ia-1375034 Post Office Location – NEWTON] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100823191018/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/newton-215-s-2nd-ave-e-newton-ia-1375034 |date=23 August 2010 }}." [[United States Postal Service]]. Retrieved 24 November 2010.</ref>

The [[Iowa Department of Corrections]] [[Newton Correctional Facility]] is in [[unincorporated area|unincorporated]] [[Jasper County, Iowa|Jasper County]], near Newton.<ref>"[http://www.doc.state.ia.us/institutions_detail.asp?id=15 Newton Correctional Facility] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613115645/http://www.doc.state.ia.us/institutions_detail.asp?id=15 |date=June 13, 2011 }}." [[Iowa Department of Corrections]]. Retrieved November 24, 2010. "Newton Correctional Facility 307 S. 60th Avenue W. P. O. Box 218 Newton, IA 50208"</ref>