Rodney Fitzgerald Jackson
v.
State of Iowa
Appellant
Rodney Fitzgerald Jackson
Appellee
State of Iowa
Attorney for the Appellant
Robert P. Ranschau, Assistant Appellate Defender
Attorney for the Appellee
Thomas J. Ogden, Assistant Attorney General
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County, Tod Deck, Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Vaitheswaran, P.J., Badding, J., and Gamble, S.J. Opinion by Gamble, S.J. (6 pages)
Rodney Jackson appeals the dismissal of his application for postconviction relief (PCR). He claims actual innocence and that he pleaded guilty in the underlying criminal action because he was under duress. OPINION HOLDS: Jackson did not file a motion in arrest of judgment to raise his duress claim. Because Jackson failed to raise the issue when he was first able to and does not provide a sufficient reason for failing to previously raise the issue, he cannot raise the issue for the first time in this PCR action. Jackson’s actual innocence claim fails because video footage and police reports support his conviction for assault causing bodily injury.