State of Iowa
v.
Ralpheal Rashee Williams
Appellee
State of Iowa
Appellant
Ralpheal Rashee Williams
Attorney for the Appellee
Nicholas E. Siefert, Assistant Attorney General
Attorney for the Appellant
Mary K. Conroy, Assistant Appellate Defender
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County, David P. Odekirk, Judge. REVERSED AND REMANDED FOR NEW TRIAL. Heard by Tabor, P.J., and Badding and Chicchelly, JJ. Opinion by Tabor, P.J. (18 pages)
Ralpheal Williams appeals his conviction for robbery in the first degree. He contends there was insufficient evidence to convict. He also contends that the district court erred in giving a jury instruction and abused its discretion in denying his motion for new trial based on inaccurate statements of law in the State’s closing argument. Finally, he contends the sentencing court abused its discretion by failing to state reasons for imposing a seventy percent mandatory minimum. OPINION HOLDS: We find substantial evidence supports the challenged elements. We need not address the constitutionality of the general-verdict statute. But we find that the district court erred in giving a misleading jury instruction, and the record does not affirmatively establish that Ralpheal was not prejudiced by that error. So we reverse and remand for new trial, and do not reach the remaining issues.
