Criminal Law : Sentencing – Prior Conviction –  Iowa Law

Where a defendant who pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition by a felon challenged the imposition of a 105-month sentence, the district court did not err by finding that the defendant’s prior conviction for attempted murder under Iowa law was a crime of violence for sentencing purposes, and the court also did not err in applying a four-level upward departure, and the judgment is affirmed because the sentence was not substantively unreasonable.

Judgment is affirmed.

U.S. v. Peeples (MLW No. 71314/Case No. 16-4039 – 10 pages) (U.S. Court of Appeals, 8^th Circuit, Shepherd, J.) Appealed from U.S. District Court, Northern District of Iowa, Strand, J. (Nova D. Janssen, Des Moines, Iowa, argued for appellant) (Ravi T. Narayan, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, argued for appellee).

Read the full text of this opinion. (PDF)