FORT MADISON - Less than a month after the Fort Madison Civil Service Commission upheld his termination by the city from the police force, William Bowker filed an appeal in North Lee County District Court.

The Civil Service Commission affirmed the February firing of Bowker by the city manager. Commissioners addressed each of the issues, including Bowker's misconduct, neglect of duty, insubordination, attitude and conduct unbecoming of an officer. Bowker had an affair with Christine Niggemeyer, Fort Madison Police Chief Bruce Niggemeyer's estranged wife.

Christine Niggemeyer also was once an auxiliary officer for the local police department.

Bowker went before the commission in May, and a weeklong hearing commenced. Details of his tenure at the Lee County Drug Task Force and his affair with the chief's wife were aired in the public setting.

Now it may come out again at another venue, this time before a district court judge.

Curtis Dial, Bowker's attorney, said, "He has an automatic right to appeal (the civil service commission) decision."

"It's basically a new proceeding in district court," Dial said Wednesday. "It's not really an appeal so much. It's titled an appeal, but it's really not. It's a new action in district court more or less."

There were no grounds listed in the filing, only that Bowker met the 30-day timeline in filing it. A copy of the commission's ruling also was included.

Commissioners Rick Ruis, John Schier and Duane Denning said Bowker's misconduct "not only impacted good order and discipline, but the sustained nature of this misconduct and the supremely poor judgment displayed by Officer Bowker was a primary consideration in the termination decision."

"This was not simply a discrete extra-marital indiscretion," the commissioners wrote. "The manner in which officer Bowker permitted other police officers and the public to see what was happening, and the fact the affair involved or impacted two other well-known married police officers, one of whom was in a position of supreme authority, must be considered."

Commissioners also found Bowker slept on the job several times while he was on the Lee County Narcotics Task Force; that he left his post without authorization; was unavailable for callouts, and was insubordinate and displayed unbecoming conduct.

A phone listing for Bowker could not be located for comment.