March 2025 Archive | Court of Appeals Court Opinions

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Worth County, Chris Foy, Judge.  AFFIRMED.  Considered by Schumacher, P.J., and Buller and Langholz, JJ.  Opinion by Buller, J.  (4 pages)

            A driver’s insurer appeals from a ruling on a petition for declaratory judgment disputing whether the vehicle’s insurer had a duty to defend the driver.  OPINION HOLDS: Because the driver’s guilty plea to operation without the owner’s consent has preclusive effect, the owner’s insurer had no duty to defend the driver in a subsequent civil suit.

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Jeanie Vaudt, Judge.  AFFIRMED AS MODIFIED.  Considered by Greer, P.J., and Ahlers and Badding, JJ.  Opinion by Badding, J.  (14 pages)

            Abigail Foster, now known as Abigail Fiedler, appeals from a dissolution decree, challenging the district court’s property division, spousal support award, and assessment of attorney and expert witness fees.  OPINION HOLDS: We affirm the district court’s property division as modified and decrease Abigail’s property settlement payment accordingly.  We deny Abigail’s request for a hybrid award of spousal support, affirm the district court’s assessment of trial attorney fees and denial of Abigail’s expert witness fees, and order each party to be responsible for their own appellate attorney fees.

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Dallas County, Patrick Greenwood, Judge.  AFFIRMED.  Considered by Greer, P.J., Langholz, J., and Carr, S.J.  Opinion by Carr, S.J.  (4 pages)

            Brendan McGuinness appeals the district court’s dismissal of his postconviction relief (PCR) application as untimely, arguing we should adopt equitable tolling.  OPINION HOLDS: Because equitable tolling does not apply under Iowa Code section 822.3 (2023) and, even it did, McGuinness has not shown that he otherwise diligently pursued his rights, we affirm the district court’s dismissal of his PCR application.

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County, Linda M. Fangman, Judge.  AFFIRMED.  Heard by Ahlers, P.J., and Badding and Buller, JJ.  Opinion by Buller, J.  (17 pages)

            A criminal defendant appeals his conviction for first‑degree murder, challenging the denial of a Batson challenge, sufficiency of malice and intent evidence, and evidentiary rulings.  OPINION HOLDS: We affirm on all claims.

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Kossuth County, John M. Sandy, Judge.  AFFIRMED.  Considered by Greer, P.J., and Ahlers and Badding, JJ.  Sandy, J., takes no part.  Opinion by Ahlers, J.  (9 pages)

            Christopher Weydert appeals the property provisions of the decree dissolving his marriage to Amber Weydert.  He claims that Amber dissipated marital assets, district court should not have awarded Amber a portion of land because the land was gifted to him, and the court over-valued a dividend.  OPINION HOLDS: Christopher failed to preserve error on his dissipation claim.  The particular facts of this case justified awarding Amber a portion of the land even though it was gifted to Christopher.  And the record supports the district court’s valuation of the dividend.

    Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Linn County, Nicholas L. Scott, Judge.  AFFIRMED.  Considered by Schumacher, P.J., Sandy, J., and Bower, S.J.  Opinion by Bower, S.J.  (13 pages)

    Robert Thompson appeals his convictions for operating while intoxicated, second offense, and carrying a dangerous weapon while under the influence.  OPINION HOLDS: We affirm Thompson’s convictions and sentence.
 

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Patrick D. Smith, Judge.  REVERSED AND REMANDED.  Heard by Tabor, C.J., and Ahlers and Sandy, JJ., but decided en banc.  Opinion by Ahlers, J.  Dissent by Greer, J.  (15 pages)

            Linda Betz filed suit against four employees of her previous workplace for defamation, claiming that statements made in internal documents and meetings harmed her reputation and led to her termination.  The district court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss because the petition was filed after the two-year statute of limitations ran.  On appeal, Betz argues the district court erred in dismissing her suit.  OPINION HOLDS: Because the alleged defamatory statements were made internally, Betz would have had limited opportunity to become aware of them.  We conclude the discovery rule should be applied in this situation.  The question of when she became aware of the statements is a question of fact that must be determined to decide the statute of limitations.  We reverse the district court’s dismissal and remand the case for further proceedings as if the motion had been denied.  DISSENT ASSERTS: I do not think Betz’s case was dismissed prematurely.  Because she was on inquiry notice when she filed her November 2020 lawsuit, I would conclude her March 2023 defamation claim was barred by the applicable statute of limitations and affirm the district court. 

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County, David F. Staudt, Judge.  AFFIRMED.  Considered by Schumacher, P.J., and Badding and Chicchelly, JJ.  Opinion by Schumacher, P.J.  (5 pages)

            Clarence Tejan appeals the district court’s denial of his application for postconviction relief, raising claims of ineffective assistance of counsel relating to counsel’s failure to call character witnesses at sentencing and counsel’s “previous ethical violations.”  OPINION HOLDS: Upon our review, we affirm.

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Scott County, Jeffrey Bert, Judge.  AFFIRMED.  Considered by Greer, P.J., and Langholz and Sandy, JJ.  Opinion by Greer, P.J.  (8 pages)

            Ron Millbrook appeals the dismissal of his postconviction-relief petition, arguing his trial counsel was ineffective because counsel failed to impeach Vincent Harris, Millbrook’s own witness, with his prior inconsistent statements.  OPINION HOLDS: We find counsel’s decision not to impeach was a tactical one and did not constitute ineffective assistance. 

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Plymouth County, Patrick H. Tott, Judge.  REVERSED AND REMANDED FOR NEW TRIAL.  Considered by Greer, P.J., and Ahlers and Badding, JJ.  Opinion by Ahlers, J.  Partial Dissent by Greer, P.J.  (21 pages)

           James Ellis appeals his conviction for willfully failing to appear.  He contends the evidence presented was insufficient to support his conviction and challenges the admission of a court order as an exhibit.  OPINION HOLDS: The evidence was sufficient to support the conviction, but the district court erroneously admitted as an exhibit the court order containing factual findings.  The admission was not harmless.  We reverse Ellis’s conviction and remand for a new trial.  PARTIAL DISSENT ASSERTS: While I agree with the majority that Ellis’s sufficiency-of-the-evidence challenge fails, I part ways on the evidentiary question.  I would conclude Ellis failed to preserve error on the specific hearsay objection the majority considers on appeal.  Even if the issue was preserved, I would rule the court order was admissible under an exception to the hearsay rule or, because the same evidence was admitted without objection, that any error was harmless.

    Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Des Moines County, Joshua P. Schier, Judge.  AFFIRMED.  Considered by Tabor, C.J., and Ahlers and Sandy, JJ.  Opinion by Tabor, C.J. (8 pages)

    After hearing evidence that Gayle Palmer fled police in a vehicle carrying drugs, a jury convicted him of felony eluding and possession of controlled substances.  Palmer appeals, contending that the State failed to prove the identity element for any of the offenses and failed to prove that he knowingly possessed marijuana or methamphetamine.  OPINION HOLDS: Finding sufficient evidence to support both the identification of Palmer as the fleeing driver and his constructive possession of the drugs found in the vehicle, we affirm.
 

    Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Story County, Bethany Currie and John J. Haney, Judges.  AFFIRMED.  Heard by Tabor, C.J., and Schumacher and Chicchelly, JJ.  Opinion by Tabor, C.J.  (17 pages)

    A jury convicted Aidan Ralph of third-degree sexual abuse and assault causing bodily injury.  Ralph claims that the district court erred by (1) admitting a portion of a police officer’s testimony over his objection that it improperly vouched for the victim’s credibility; and (2) admitting evidence that he physically abused the victim on prior occasions to establish his motive for sexually abusing her.  He requests that we reverse his sexual abuse conviction and remand for a new trial.  OPINION HOLDS: Finding that the district court properly exercised its discretion in admitting the challenged evidence, we affirm.