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Case No. 19-1133

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:
19-1133
Date Published:
Jan 21, 2021
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.

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