The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of an eastern Iowa man in a stabbing that involved gizzards. Court records show Nathaniel Taylor of Waterloo was walking home on April 28th of 2007 when he encountered Robert Hanes. Taylor admitted Hanes had given him $2.25 one week earlier to buy gizzards.
Taylor also admitted that he did not buy the gizzards, or return the money. And says Hanes became mad and started yelling and then stabbed him in the face. Taylor suffered cuts on each side of his lower lip and now has scars on his face and numbness in his lower lip and upper chin.
Hanes claimed self defense at his trial ..over the incident, but was found guilty of willful injury causing serious injury, ands was sentenced to not more than ten years in prison. Hanes appealed his conviction based on the jury instructions that included possible sentences that he said prejudiced the jury. Hanes said his lawyer was ineffective for not objecting to the instructions.
The majority of the appeals court justices ruled the instructions to the jury did not end up influencing the jury’s verdict. But justice Amanda Potterfield did issue a dissent — saying the instructions did prejudice the jury and she would reverse the verdict and grant Hanes a new trial.
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