UPDATE: Pierre Pierce Allowed to Travel to France

Pierre Pierce, left, leaves Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, with his father, Maurice Pierce, after being released on Sunday morning, Sept. 24, 2006. Pierce, a former University of Iowa basketball player, served 11 months after pleading guilty last year to assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, false imprisonment and fourth-degree criminal mischief. The charges stem from a January 2005 incident in which he was accused of assaulting and terrorizing a former girlfriend in West Des Moines. He must still serve four years on probation. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Liz Martin)

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By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Sep 23, 2008 at 10:48 AM CST

Story Updated: Sep 23, 2008 at 2:00 PM CST

DES MOINES (AP) - The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that former Iowa basketball player Pierre Pierce can leave Iowa to play professional basketball in France.

The court's decision on Tuesday upholds a Dallas County District Court judge's ruling.

The Iowa attorney general argued that there is no law that would allow someone serving probation to complete their sentence in another country and asked the Supreme Court to stay the ruling. The court granted the request until it could review the ruling.

Pierce's attorney, Alfredo Parrish, filed a response on Monday saying allowing Pierce to travel to France was not prohibited by state law.

Pierce is serving probation after pleading guilty to several charges for an incident at a former girlfriend's home in 2005.

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