Richard Joseph Ehler
v.
State of Iowa
Appellant
Richard Joseph Ehler
Appellee
State of Iowa
Attorney for the Appellant
George B. Jones
Attorney for the Appellee
Zachary Miller, Assistant Attorney General
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Warren County, Thomas P. Murphy, Judge. REVERSED AND REMANDED. Considered by Vaitheswaran, P.J., and Potterfield and Tabor, JJ. Opinion by Tabor, J. (21 pages)
Richard Ehler appeals the district court’s denial of his application for postconviction relief, arguing counsel was ineffective for failing to adequately research the viability of his speedy-trial claim. OPINION HOLDS: Plea counsel breached a duty by failing to understand the applicable speedy-trial standard. And because counsel’s failure influenced Ehler’s decision to plead guilty, it resulted in prejudice to Ehler. We remand the case to the district court with instructions to grant Ehler’s PCR application, vacate the guilty plea, and dismiss the trial information.
