State v. Glaus

455 N.W.2d 274, 1990 Iowa App. LEXIS 23, 1990 WL 57105
CourtCourt of Appeals of Iowa
DecidedFebruary 22, 1990
Docket89-07
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 455 N.W.2d 274 (State v. Glaus) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Glaus, 455 N.W.2d 274, 1990 Iowa App. LEXIS 23, 1990 WL 57105 (iowactapp 1990).

Opinion

OXBERGER,' Chief Judge.

Thomas Hershel Glaus (Glaus) appeals a judgment and sentence entered by the trial court, following a jury trial, finding him guilty of delivery of a controlled substance. We affirm the decision of the district court.

Terry Klooster, a special agent of the Division of Criminal Investigation, went to the home of a private citizen to purchase heroin from other individuals in the Cedar Rapids area. Roxanne Wright, the private citizen involved in the operation, was herself a heroin addict and had been previously charged with delivery of a controlled substance. Wright was promised that in exchange for her plea of guilty and cooperation, no incarceration would be recommended as part of her sentence.

Wright arranged for Klooster to buy $600 worth of heroin at her apartment which she shared with Karl Werner. Klooster planned to arrive at the apartment before the seller’s arrival and record the buy with a hidden microphone. However, upon his arrival Klooster saw that Werner and the defendant, Tom Glaus, had already arrived, ruining Klooster’s plans to set up the microphone. Klooster decided to proceed with the buy as planned without the microphone.

Wright led Klooster into the kitchen area and went into the adjacent bedroom. Wer-ner and Glaus followed into the bedroom. Several minutes later Wright returned with ten tinfoil packages of heroin, at which time Klooster gave Wright the money. Wright then returned to the bedroom.

Several minutes later Werner and Glaus exited the bedroom. Walking by Klooster, Glaus said he would talk if he had more time. No arrest was made since Klooster wanted to gather more information. Subsequent laboratory tests confirmed that the contents of the tinfoil packages was heroin.

Glaus and Werner were jointly charged with delivery of a controlled substance. Werner was subsequently called as a State’s witness, Werner having agreed to testify against Glaus in exchange for a grant of immunity of prosecution. At trial, Werner testified that it was Glaus who bought and sold the heroin to Klooster. Glaus argued that there was no corroboration of Klooster’s testimony other than that of Werner, who was an accomplice granted immunity from prosecution, and therefore no reliable independent evidence existed to connect him with the sale.

*276 The jury ultimately found Glaus guilty as charged. Glaus made numerous posttrial motions which were denied by the trial court. The trial court sentenced Glaus to a prison term not to exceed twenty years. Glaus has appealed.

Glaus contends that he was denied effective assistance of counsel when defense counsel failed to request an accomplice instruction. Glaus believes that Werner’s testimony was unreliable because he was an accomplice, and if counsel had requested an accomplice instruction, the jury would have been informed that an accomplice’s testimony needs corroboration before it is sufficient to support a conviction. Glaus believes that Werner’s testimony merely proves that he was in the room while events were taking place. Additionally, Glaus contends that defense counsel should have requested an instruction that Werner was an accomplice as a matter of law.

Since Glaus claims a violation of constitutional safeguards, our review is de novo. See State v. Hildebrant, 405 N.W.2d 839, 841 (Iowa 1987); Hinkle v. State, 290 N.W.2d 28, 31 (Iowa 1980). Ineffective assistance claims are generally reserved for postconviction hearings, but may be determined on direct appeal when the record adequately presents them. Hildebrant, 405 N.W.2d at 840; State v. Risdal, 404 N.W.2d 130, 131 (Iowa 1987); State v. Nebinger, 412 N.W.2d 180, 192 (Iowa App.1987). The failure to request certain jury instructions is a matter more suited to postconviction relief. See State v. Slayton, 417 N.W.2d 432, 436 (Iowa 1987). “At such a hearing trial counsel will have opportunity to explain its conduct and performance and the court will have a complete record.” Slayton, 417 N.W.2d at 436.

We find the record in this case to be insufficient for this court to determine Glaus’s claim. We also believe it is important to provide counsel their day in court, especially when their professional reputation is challenged. See State v. Coil, 264 N.W.2d 293, 296 (Iowa 1978). Glaus’s trial counsel may well have had a good strategical reason for not requesting the instructions. The postconviction proceeding, where a full evidentiary hearing may be had, will provide trial counsel an opportunity to explain its conduct at trial.

Glaus also argues that the admitting into evidence of opinion testimony by Klooster that Glaus did not appear surprised to see him when he emerged from the bedroom was prejudicial. Glaus asserts the testimony relies on speculation of another’s state of mind for its probative value.

It is within the trial court’s discretion to determine the admissibility of the evidence. Evidence is admissible if it is relevant and its probative value is not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury. State v. Wilson, 406 N.W.2d 442, 447 (Iowa 1987). Our broad approach to the admissibility of opinion testimony by lay witnesses is reflected in Iowa Rule of Evidence 701 which requires only that it be “(a) rationally based on the perception of the witness and (b) helpful to a clear understanding of his testimony or the determination of a fact in issue.” We will reverse a decision only if the trial court abused that discretion. State v. Russell, 261 N.W.2d 490, 495-96 (Iowa 1978).

Upon our review of the record we find no abuse of discretion in admitting agent Klooster’s testimony over Glaus’s objection. We believe opinion testimony:

regarding the emotions displayed by another person is both necessary and valuable since it is practically impossible merely to describe, without the use of opinion or conclusions, another’s appearance in a manner that will convey to a jury an accurate picture of the emotion manifested by that person at a given time_ Therefore, the existence or absence of the emotions of fear, anger, joy, excitement, nervousness, earnestness, anxiety, disgust, curiosity, surprise, embarrassment ... and other such emotions and the mental state of a person at a certain time may, by necessity, be proved by the opinions of nonexperts as deduced from the appearances and conduct observed by the witnesses.

*277 31A Am.Jur.2d Expert and Opinion Evidence § 359, at 363 (1989). We hold Glaus has not shown an abuse of discretion by the district court.

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455 N.W.2d 274, 1990 Iowa App. LEXIS 23, 1990 WL 57105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-glaus-iowactapp-1990.