The Iowa Supreme Court has sided with the lower courts, upholding the conviction of Matthew James Meisheid for assaulting two peace officers. The case stemmed from an incident where Meisheid pulled a handgun on deputies investigating a report of illegal fireworks at his home.
The Incident
On July 9, 2022, deputies from Washington County responded to a call about fireworks being set off at Meisheid’s residence in Kalona. Upon arriving, they knocked on the door. Meisheid eventually came outside, clearly agitated. Bodycam footage captured the entire encounter.
Meisheid confronted the deputies, using strong language and expressing his displeasure with their presence. He claimed their visit was “bullshit” and demanded they leave his property. Despite the deputies’ calm attempts to explain the reason for their visit, which was to address the reported fireworks, Meisheid escalated the situation.
In response to their inquiries, Meisheid pulled out a handgun, pointed it upwards, and declared, “I’ll show you a firework: Boom, boom, boom, boom!” The deputies immediately instructed him to put the gun away, which he did. They then retreated to their vehicles.
The Charges and Lower Court Decisions
Meisheid was arrested the following day and charged with two counts of assault, specifically violating Iowa Code sections 708.1(2)(c) and 708.3A(2). The charges alleged that Meisheid assaulted the deputies by displaying a dangerous weapon in a threatening manner. The prosecution also included a felony enhancement due to the assault being against peace officers.
A jury found Meisheid guilty as charged, and the district court sentenced him to prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. Meisheid appealed the conviction, raising three arguments: insufficient evidence that he displayed a weapon “toward another,” insufficient evidence that he displayed a weapon “in a threatening manner,” and that the district court abused its discretion by refusing to reduce his sentence. The Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence. Meisheid then sought further review from the Iowa Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s Analysis
The Iowa Supreme Court focused on Meisheid’s argument that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove he displayed the gun “toward” the deputies. The court reviewed the evidence, including the bodycam footage, and the jury instructions.
The jury instructions, which Meisheid did not object to, stated that displaying a dangerous weapon in a threatening manner meant “to show or make apparent to another person that a dangerous weapon existed so as to intimidate the other person.” The court found that Meisheid’s actions clearly met this definition. He showed the gun to the deputies, making them aware of its existence.
The court addressed Meisheid’s argument that since he pointed the gun upwards and not directly at the deputies, it wasn’t displayed “toward” them. The court disagreed, stating that the term “toward” should be understood in context. They reasoned that Meisheid’s act of showing the gun to the deputies, while facing them and speaking to them, constituted a display “toward” them, even if the gun wasn’t pointed directly at them. The court used the example of the deputies displaying their badges to Meisheid to illustrate the point.
The court emphasized that their review was “highly deferential” to the jury’s verdict and that they must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the State. They concluded that, based on the evidence and the jury instructions, there was sufficient evidence to support the jury’s finding that Meisheid displayed the weapon toward the deputies.
The Outcome
The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals and the district court, upholding Meisheid’s conviction. The court stated that the Court of Appeals decision stands as the final decision as to all other issues raised in the appeal, meaning the lower court’s rulings on those issues remain in effect.