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Case No. 21-0140

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:
21-0140
Date Published:
Mar 30, 2022
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.

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