State v. Carr

CourtNebraska Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 14, 2026
DocketA-25-485+
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Carr (State v. Carr) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Carr, (Neb. Ct. App. 2026).

Opinion

IN THE NEBRASKA COURT OF APPEALS

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND JUDGMENT ON APPEAL (Memorandum Web Opinion)

STATE V. CARR

NOTICE: THIS OPINION IS NOT DESIGNATED FOR PERMANENT PUBLICATION AND MAY NOT BE CITED EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY NEB. CT. R. APP. P. § 2-102(E).

STATE OF NEBRASKA, APPELLEE, V.

JAMAL D. CARR, APPELLANT.

Filed April 14, 2026. Nos. A-25-485, A-25-486.

Appeals from the District Court for Lancaster County: KEVIN R. MCMANAMAN, Judge. Affirmed as modified. Robert Wm. Chapin, Jr., for appellant. Michael T. Hilgers, Attorney General, and Jordan Osborne for appellee.

RIEDMANN, Chief Judge, and PIRTLE and FREEMAN, Judges. PIRTLE, Judge. INTRODUCTION Jamal D. Carr appeals from his plea-based convictions in two separate cases in the district court for Lancaster County. The two cases have been consolidated on appeal. In both cases he asserts his pleas were involuntary, his sentences were excessive, and his trial counsel was ineffective. Based on the reasons that follow, Carr’s convictions in both cases are affirmed and his sentences--specifically, his credits for time served--are modified. BACKGROUND In case No. A-25-485, Carr was charged with two robbery counts, each a Class II felony. In case No. A-25-486, he was charged with first degree assault, a Class II felony; burglary, a Class IIA felony; and terroristic threats, a Class IIIA felony. Pursuant to a global plea agreement, in case No. A-25-485 Carr pleaded no contest to attempted robbery, a Class IIA felony. In case No.

-1- A-25-486, Carr pleaded no contest to attempted possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, a Class II felony, and terroristic threats, a Class IIIA felony. As part of the global plea agreement, the State agreed to dismiss a third case where Carr had been charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, a Class ID felony, and possession of a stolen firearm, a Class IIA felony. The State also agreed it would not add an additional charge of use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, a Class IC felony. At a joint plea hearing, Carr was advised of the nature of the amended charges to which he was pleading, the possible penalties, and his constitutional rights. The State also recited a factual basis in support of the charges in each case. In summary, in case No. A-25-485, police officers responded to a robbery that occurred at an O’Reilly Auto Parts store on July 14, 2024. The clerk and manager told officers that a white male, later identified as Rodney Ross, and a black male, later identified as Carr, entered the store. The black male pointed a sawed-off shotgun at them. The manager was directed to open the safe and the suspects took the money inside, as well as several fuel cards and key rings, and then fled. Surveillance of the business showed a gold Impala vehicle leaving the scene. The mother of Jasmine Parker, an acquaintance of Carr’s, owned a gold Impala and Carr had access to the vehicle. On July 24, 2024, officers were dispatched to a robbery that occurred at another O’Reilly Auto Parts store location. It was reported that a white male and a black male went into the store. The white male pointed a sawed-off shotgun at the clerk and asked if he was the manager. The black male forced the clerk and manager to the back room, demanding money from the safe. The black male punched the manager in the right cheek when he initially did not comply. Once the manager opened the safe, the suspects took the money and several keys from the safe. They fled in a black Ford Explorer, a vehicle that belonged to Parker. Parker gave information to law enforcement that she received from Ross, the white male involved in the two robberies. She claimed Ross told her that he was the one holding the shotgun during the robbery on July 24, 2024, and that Carr was the one who operated the safe, and he had broken the key to the safe at the time. This was not information that was publicly known by anyone, and it was found to be accurate information. Parker also told law enforcement that after the first robbery on July 14, 2024, Carr came to her apartment and told her to discard the cash drawers and money bags, and that she did so. Parker also identified the firearm she retrieved for Carr to use during the two robberies. Photos of this firearm were on Carr’s phone. The facts surrounding case No. A-25-486, in summary, were that on May 13, 2024, police officers were called to the home of Dezarae Mann regarding a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, officers found Demetric Rogers, Mann’s boyfriend, lying at the top of the stairs with numerous injuries. Mann told the officers that two suspects forced entry into her home and assaulted Rogers. She stated that she hid in a closet and heard a male voice that she did not know and a female voice she recognized as being Amuk James, who was in a relationship with Carr. Rogers and James had previously been in a relationship. At the hospital, Rogers told police officers that earlier that day he had gone to James’ apartment to retrieve clothing, and he and James got into an argument. Carr was present in the apartment at the time. When Rogers left, he went back to Mann’s home. Rogers told officers he subsequently heard a loud bang upstairs, went to investigate, and was confronted by Carr pointing

-2- a handgun at him. The two began fighting and Carr hit Rogers several times in the face and head with the handgun. Rogers had numerous lacerations on his head and face, missing teeth, and a broken mandible. At Mann’s home, officers found three live 9-mm handgun rounds and “a magazine spring for a semi-automatic handgun, base plate, floor plate, and a follower.” The gun was not located at the scene. A month later, Carr was arrested at his girlfriend’s house. A safe was located in the residence that contained a Ruger handgun with an extended magazine, a wallet containing a driver’s license belonging to Carr, and a Visa debit card in Carr’s name. While in jail, Carr made several phone calls in which he stated, “It’s inevitable, I’m going to be charged with a gun,” and “I told them it was my safe. If the safe wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be tripping right now.” DNA testing revealed the base of the magazine had DNA belonging to Carr. The baseplate and barrel of the gun had Rogers’ DNA, and the slide of the firearm had DNA from both Rogers and Carr. At the time of the assault on Rogers, Carr was a convicted felon and was not allowed to legally possess a firearm. The district court found there was a sufficient factual basis to support the pleas in both cases. The court further found that Carr understood his rights, and he freely, voluntarily, intelligently, and knowingly waived them; that he understood the charges and possible penalties; and his pleas of no contest were made freely, voluntarily, intelligently, and knowingly. The court accepted Carr’s pleas in both cases and found him guilty of the charges to which he pleaded no contest in each case. The court ordered a presentence investigation report (PSI) and set the matter for sentencing. The sentencing hearing was held on June 3, 2025. The court first addressed a motion to strike an erroneous fact from the factual basis in case No. A-25-485 filed by Carr’s counsel. Specifically, Carr took issue with the statement that the black male (Carr) punched the manager in the right cheek during the robbery on July 24, 2024. Carr’s counsel argued that the victim indicated he was struck by the white male (Ross), not Carr, and wanted the factual basis modified to reflect this. Counsel offered two exhibits to support the assertion, which were received without objection, and were included in the PSI. Carr’s counsel conceded that even without this detail, there was a sufficient factual basis to support Carr’s conviction in case No. A-25-485.

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Bluebook (online)
State v. Carr, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-carr-nebctapp-2026.