State of Iowa
v.
Nathen Wayne Cameron
Appellee
State of Iowa
Appellant
Nathen Wayne Cameron
Attorney for the Appellee
Olivia D. Brooks, Assistant Attorney General
Attorney for the Appellant
Melinda J. Nye, Assistant Appellate Defender
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Dallas County, Thomas P. Murphy, Judge. AFFIRMED. Heard by Bower, C.J., and Tabor and Greer, JJ., but decided by Tabor, P.J., Greer, J., and Bower, S.J. Opinion by Greer, J. (21 pages)
Nathen Cameron appeals his convictions and sentences for assault causing serious injury and domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury. OPINION HOLDS: Because the district court did not abuse its discretion in allowing testimony on domestic abuse dynamics to assist the jury in understanding the first-degree-murder charge of which Cameron was eventually acquitted, the verdict for assault causing serious injury is supported by substantial evidence that Cameron either caused the victim to fall from the balcony—fracturing her skull and spine—or hit her, breaking her kneecap, and the district court did not abuse its discretion in considering that Cameron failed to accept responsibility for physically assaulting the victim. Because the district court did not abuse its sentencing discretion, we affirm.
