Opinion ID: 2100441
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether the District Court Erred in Applying Iowa Code Section 124.401C at Defendant's Sentencing.

Text: A. Arguments. Essentially, defendant argues that this statute by its terms only applies to manufacturing methamphetamine, not conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. Because defendant was acquitted of the manufacturing charge, he argues the district court improperly enhanced his sentence. The State argues the enhancement provision does not require a particular amount of methamphetamine to be manufactured, and therefore, the statute encompasses a conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine that is established by an overt act just short of production. B. Analysis. The defendant's sentence was increased pursuant to Iowa Code section 124.401C(1), which provides: In addition to any other penalties provided in this chapter, a person who is eighteen years of age or older and who either directly or by extraction from natural substances, or independently by means of chemical processes, or both, unlawfully manufactures methamphetamine, its salts, isomers, and salts of its isomers in the presence of a minor shall be sentenced up to an additional term of confinement of five years. Iowa Code section 124.101(16) defines manufacturing as the production, preparation, propagation, compounding, conversion, or processing of a controlled substance. We have recognized that this definition requires the actual production of the illegal material. Corsi, 686 N.W.2d at 224 (citing State v. Royer, 632 N.W.2d 905, 908 (Iowa 2001)); Casady, 597 N.W.2d at 807. Because the defendant was acquitted of those violations of section 124.401(1) that require a completed manufacture of a controlled substance, his sentence should not have been enhanced pursuant to Iowa Code section 124.401C.