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State of Iowa
v.
Joshua G. Chapalonis
Appellee
State of Iowa
Appellant
Joshua G. Chapalonis
Attorney for the Appellee
Tyler J. Buller, Assistant Attorney General
Attorney for the Appellant
Shellie L. Knipfer, Assistant Appellant Defender
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Cass County, Jeffrey L. Larson, Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Bower, C.J., and Tabor and Ahlers, JJ. Opinion by Tabor, J. (11 pages)
Joshua Chapalonis appeals his seven convictions for sexual abuse in the second degree. He argues the district court improperly allowed the jury to hear privileged communications he made to his substance-abuse counselor. He also challenges the admission of expert testimony concerning the delayed disclosure of children in sex abuse cases. OPINION HOLDS: Because any confidential communications were admissible under the privilege exception in Iowa Code section 232.74 (2020) and the district court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the forensic interviewer to testify about the delayed disclosure, we decline to grant a new trial. Thus, we affirm the convictions.