Opinion ID: 1271148
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Willful injury.

Text: Willful injury is committed when one does an act which is not justified and which is intended to cause and does cause serious injury to another. Iowa Code § 708.4 (1981). Serious injury is a disabling mental illness, or bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. Iowa Code § 702.18. The State need not prove that the offense of willful injury was successfully completed. Under felony murder it is only required that the State prove defendant was participating in the underlying felony. State v. Aswegan, 331 N.W.2d 93, 98 (Iowa 1983). See Iowa Code § 702.13 (person participates in public offense whether the person is successful or unsuccessful in committing the offense). Defendant argues that the State produced insufficient evidence to prove that the cuts to Rice's head and ear amounted to serious injury. He argues the injuries would not have created a substantial risk of death because there was no skull fracture and Rice could not have bled to death because he would have received immediate medical attention. He argues there would have been no serious permanent disfigurement because Rice's hair would have covered a scar on his head and the scar on his ear would not have made it look twisted or mutilated. Regarding the issue of substantial risk of death we have said: . . . [S]erious injury means something more than the pain or injury element in the assault statute, section 708.1(1). [Authority.] ... [A] substantial risk of death means more than just any risk of death but does not mean that death was likely. If there is a real hazard or danger of death, serious injury is established. [Authority.] State v. Anderson, 308 N.W.2d 42, 47 (Iowa 1981) (substantial risk of death where eighty-five year old woman was sexually abused, and suffered two broken ribs and several bruises and beating to her body and head; death of this victim from these injuries was `certainly possible,' even though not major risk). See also State v. Epps, 313 N.W.2d 553, 557 (Iowa 1981) (substantial risk of death where victim shot in face with handgun at close range, knocking him to floor and causing temporary unconsciousness, and bullet, lodging in left sinus cavity, damaged nasal bone and structure); State v. Cross, 308 N.W.2d 25, 26 (Iowa 1981) (suggesting substantial risk of death where victim suffered choking, three inch gash in head, bites to breasts, and other lacerations and bruises). Under this record there was ample evidence to support a jury finding that there was a substantial risk of death to Rice when defendant attacked him with the chair. There was also ample evidence to support a finding that the injuries would leave him with serious permanent disfigurement. We have recognized that the statutory definition of serious injury includes those injuries which leave the victim `permanently scarred or twisted ..., [in contrast to] a black eye, a bloody nose, and even a simple broken arm or leg.' Epps, 313 N.W.2d at 557 (quoting 4 J. Yeager & R. Carlson, Iowa Practice and Procedure § 45 (1979)).