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Thomas Michael Yarges
v.
State of Iowa
Appellant
Thomas Michael Yarges
Appellee
State of Iowa
Attorney for the Appellant
John C. Heinicke
Attorney for the Appellee
Martha E. Trout, Assistant Attorney General
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Samantha Gronewald, Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Bower, C.J., and Greer and Chicchelly, JJ. Opinion by Greer, J. (14 pages)
Thomas Yarges appeals the denial of his application for postconviction relief. OPINION HOLDS: Yarges has failed to demonstrate the prejudice necessary to succeed on his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel because by pleading guilty he avoided two potential felony convictions and eight more years of imprisonment, and the State’s case against him was strong. Likewise, Yarges failed to present clear and convincing evidence that based on his assertions to the contrary of the State’s witnesses no reasonable jury could have found that he committed the crimes of which he was accused. We affirm.
