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Case No. 18-1504

For summaries from opinions prior to August, 2018, view PDF versions here

State of Iowa
v.
Chad Richard Chapman

Defendant appealed from the judgment and sentence entered on his conviction of child endangerment under Iowa Code section 726.6(1),(7)(2017) pursuant to an Alford guilty plea. See North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 37 (1970). He contended the district court erred in: (1) imposing the special ten-year sentence under Iowa Code section 903B.2 and the law enforcement initiative surcharge; (2) ordering restitution of court costs without first determining he had a reasonable ability to pay those costs; and (3) determining his offense was sexually motivated, thus requiring he be placed on the sex offender registry pursuant to Iowa Code section 692A.126. The court of appeals affirmed in part, vacated in part, and remanded for further proceedings to determine whether the child endangerment was sexually motivated. Defendant seeks further review.

County:
Polk
Trial Court Case No.:
FECR308308

Resister

State of Iowa

Applicant

Chad Richard Chapman

Attorney for the Resister

Zachary Miller

Attorney for the Applicant

Martha J. Lucey

Supreme Court

Oral Argument Schedule

Non-Oral

Apr 08, 2020 9:00 AM

Briefs

Supreme Court Opinion

Opinion Number:
18-1504
Date Published:
Jun 19, 2020
Date Amended:
Aug 18, 2020

Court of Appeals

Court of Appeals Opinion

Opinion Number:
18-1504
Date Published:
Dec 18, 2019
Summary

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Scott D. Rosenberg, Judge.  AFFIRMED IN PART, VACATED IN PART, AND REMANDED.  Considered by Bower, C.J., and Vaitheswaran and Doyle, JJ.  Opinion by Vaitheswaran, J. (7 pages)

            Chad Chapman appeals following his guilty plea to child endangerment, arguing the district court erred in (1) imposing the special sentence and law-enforcement-initiative surcharge; (2) ordering restitution of court costs “without first determining his reasonable ability to pay such costs”; and (3) determining his offense was sexually motivated, a predicate to placement on the sex offender registry.  OPINION HOLDS: (1) The State concedes error on the first point and agrees we must “vacate those parts of Chapman’s sentence.”  (2) Based on State v. Albright, 925 N.W.2d 144, 160–62 (Iowa 2019), we vacate the order for payment of court costs pending completion of a final restitution order.  (3) Because the record contains insufficient evidence to support the district court’s finding that Chapman’s offense was sexually motivated, we vacate the portion of the sentencing order requiring him to register as a sex offender and remand for resentencing. 

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