Opinion ID: 1937170
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Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was Shelley an Accomplice as a Matter of Law?

Text: An accomplice is a person who `could be charged with and convicted of the specific offense for which an accused is on trial.' State v. Berney, 378 N.W.2d 915, 917 (Iowa 1985) (citation omitted). Thus, proof that the person had knowledge that a crime was planned or proof that the person was present when the crime was committed is insufficient standing alone to make the person an accomplice. Id. It must be established by a preponderance of the evidence that the person was involved in some way in the commission of the crime. Id. When the facts and circumstances are undisputed and permit only one inference, whether a witness is an accomplice is a question of law for the court. State v. Harris, 589 N.W.2d 239, 241 (Iowa 1999). If the facts are disputed, however, or give rise to different inferences, the question is for the jury. Id. Here, the facts and circumstances are disputed and different inferences could be drawn from the evidence with respect to Shelley's involvement in the conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. One element of this crime is that the accused agreed with one or more persons that one or more of them would manufacture or attempt to manufacture methamphetamine. State v. Speicher, 625 N.W.2d 738, 741 (Iowa 2001). In addition, the accused must make this agreement with the intent to promote or facilitate the manufacture of methamphetamine. Id. Although the defendant argues the evidence established that Shelley was an accomplice, the testimony of Carpenter and Shelley would also support a finding that Shelley did not participate in the decision to manufacture methamphetamine and was so intoxicated that she was unaware of what her visitors were doing until the manufacturing process was well underway. See Stanley v. United States, 245 F.2d 427, 430 (6th Cir.1957) (It is well established that one who has no knowledge of the object of a conspiracy cannot be a conspirator, for the intent to participate is lacking.). In view of the contrary inferences that could be drawn from the evidence, it was for the jury to choose which inferences were warranted under the testimony given at trial. Berney, 378 N.W.2d at 917. Therefore, the court did not err in instructing the jury to decide whether Shelley was an accomplice. See Harris, 589 N.W.2d at 241-42 (holding court properly refused to instruct that witnesses were accomplices where the criminality of the witnesses could not be determined as a matter of law); Berney, 378 N.W.2d at 918 (same).