Opinion ID: 2015283
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Conviction for Assault Upon a Police Officer.

Text: Finally, we consider Chang's contention that his conviction of assault on a peace officer causing bodily injury was not supported by substantial evidence. This court reviews sufficiency-of-the-evidence challenges for correction of errors at law. State v. Thomas, 561 N.W.2d 37, 39 (Iowa 1997). This court will uphold a jury verdict if it is supported by substantial evidence. Iowa R.App. P. 14(f)(1); Thomas, 561 N.W.2d at 39. Chang urges that the words intended to cause and intended to place, contained in paragraphs (1) and (2) of Iowa Code section 708.1, require the State to show that the defendant acted with the intent to cause the consequences described in the statute. The State counters this contention by arguing that this court has determined assault as defined in section 708.1 to be a general-intent crime in Bacon v. Bacon, 567 N.W.2d 414, 417 (Iowa 1997); State v. Peck, 539 N.W.2d 170, 175 (Iowa 1995); and State v. Ogan, 497 N.W.2d 902, 903 (Iowa 1993). The State's reading of Bacon, Peck, and Ogan appears to be correct, but we need not rely on those decisions to defeat Chang's argument. This is because the district court in the present case did instruct the jury as follows: The term assault as used in these instructions means an act which is meant to cause pain or injury or result in physical contact which will be offensive or place another person in fear of immediate physical contact which will be painful, injurious, insulting or offensive to another person. A jury is allowed to assume that an actor is presumed to intend the natural consequence of his or her acts. State v. Rinehart, 283 N.W.2d 319, 321 (Iowa 1979). Consequently, even if Chang's argument concerning the intent requirement for this crime is accepted, a reasonable jury could have concluded that, given the precarious position of officer Anderson in the vehicle, Chang was necessarily aware that the officer would be placed in fear of painful or injurious contact with an instrumentality under Chang's control. We have considered all issues presented and, for the reasons stated, affirm the conviction for assault of a police officer causing bodily injury. We reverse the conviction for second-degree criminal mischief and remand that charge to the district court for a new trial. Costs are assessed forty percent to appellant and sixty percent to the State. AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, AND REMANDED.