William Lamont Taylor
v.
State of Iowa
Appellant
William Lamont Taylor
Appellee
State of Iowa
Attorney for the Appellant
Raya D. Dimitrova
Attorney for the Appellee
Sharon K. Hall, Assistant Attorney General
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Joseph W. Seidlin, Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Bower, C.J., and May and Ahlers, JJ. Opinion by Ahlers, J. (7 pages)
William Taylor was convicted of assault on a peace officer with a dangerous weapon and eluding. On postconviction-relief appeal, Taylor raises a number of ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claims. OPINION HOLDS: Given the overwhelming video and eyewitness evidence of Taylor’s guilt, there is no reasonable probability the outcome of his trial would have been different had his counsel requested and received a spoliation instruction, or whether trial counsel investigated and examined the vehicle Taylor was driving when he was arrested. Trial counsel did not breach any duty by failing to file a motion in limine regarding Taylor’s prior theft convictions. And trial counsel did not breach an essential duty by failing to call an expert witness to testify about post-traumatic stress disorder. We affirm.