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State of Iowa
v.
Demetrius Ray Howard
Appellee
State of Iowa
Appellant
Demetrius Ray Howard
Attorney for the Appellee
Timothy M. Hau, Assistant Attorney General
Attorney for the Appellant
Theresa R. Wilson, Assistant Appellate Defender
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Scott County, Mark R. Lawson, Judge. AFFIRMED. Heard by Schumacher, P.J., and Buller and Langholz, JJ. Opinion by Buller, J. (11 pages)
A criminal defendant appeals his convictions for first-degree murder and felon in possession. OPINION HOLDS: We affirm, finding the defendant was not justified when he used a gun during a fistfight to shoot the victim in the back. We also find sufficient evidence of the required mens rea elements. And we discern no abuse of discretion in the district court’s evidentiary ruling concerning the defendant’s statements regarding the “murder weapon.
