State of Iowa
v.
Johnny Blahnik Church a/k/a Drew Alan Blahnik
Defendant appealed his convictions for second degree murder, obstructing prosecution, and defacing a corpse. He contends the district court erred in giving a verdict-urging instruction to the deadlocked jury during deliberations. The court of appeals reversed and remanded. The State seeks further review.
Applicant
State of Iowa
Resister
Johnny Blahnik Church a/k/a Drew Alan Blahnik
Attorney for the Applicant
Nicholas E. Siefert and Louis S. Sloven, Assistant Attorneys General
Attorney for the Resister
Leon F. Spies
Supreme Court
Oral Argument Schedule
Non-Oral
Sep 14, 2023 9:00 AM
Briefs
Supreme Court Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Linn County, Christopher L. Bruns, Judge. REVERSED AND REMANDED. Heard by Tabor, P.J., and Schumacher and Ahlers, JJ. Opinion by Tabor, P.J. (15 pages)
Johnny Blahnik Church appeals his convictions for second-degree murder, obstructing prosecution, and defacing a corpse. He claims the district court errored in giving a verdict-urging instruction to the jury. OPINION HOLDS: Because of the unique context and circumstances of this case, the district court’s verdict-urging instruction was coercive. We reverse and remand.