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Case No. 19-0082

State of Iowa
v.
Lha Southideth-Whiten

Appellee

State of Iowa

Appellant

Lha Southideth-Whiten

Attorney for the Appellee

Benjamin Parrott, Assistant Attorney General

Attorney for the Appellant

Ashley Stewart, Assistant Appellate Defender

Court of Appeals

Court of Appeals Opinion

Opinion Number:
19-0082
Date Published:
Feb 05, 2020
Summary

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Lee (North) County, John M. Wright, Judge.  AFFIRMED.  Considered by Bower, C.J., and May and Greer, JJ.  Opinion by Bower, C.J. (14 pages)

            Lha Southideth-Whiten appeals his conviction for voluntary manslaughter, in violation of Iowa Code sections 707.4 (2016).  He contends the trial court abused its discretion in excluding expert testimony concerning his justification defense and erred in instructing the jury that a person is not justified in using reasonable force if an alternative course of action is available without noting the “home exception.”  OPINION HOLDS: Finding no abuse of the trial court’s discretion concerning the expert witness’s testimony or error in the jury instructions, we affirm.

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