Opinion ID: 1349431
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Sufficiency-of-the-Evidence Issue.

Text: At trial defendant's counsel did not object to the sufficiency of the evidence to establish that he had immediate possession or control of the revolver found in the purse on the closet shelf. This omission is now the basis of a claim that defendant received ineffective assistance from his trial counsel. To establish such a claim requires the usual showing that counsel failed to perform an essential duty and that prejudice resulted therefrom. See, e.g., State v. Hopkins, 576 N.W.2d 374, 378 (Iowa 1998). In the present case, both the breach-of-duty component and the prejudice component of defendant's ineffective-assistance claim depend entirely on the merit of the claim that his trial counsel failed to assert. If a motion to withdraw the issue of firearm possession or control from the jury would have been successful and thus reduced defendant's sentence, a failure to make that motion was indeed a breach of an essential duty and was prejudicial. Conversely, if the evidence was sufficient to submit the issue of defendant's immediate possession or control of a firearm to the jury, the failure to challenge that action was not ineffective assistance of counsel. On the merits of defendant's claim that the evidence was insufficient to show that he was in immediate possession or control of a firearm, defendant and the State are in agreement on some matters. These are: (1) Based on State v. Eickelberg, 574 N.W.2d 1, 5 (Iowa 1997), immediate possession of a firearm means actual possession on one's person. (2) Also based on Eickelberg, immediate control of a firearm may be established by showing that the defendant was in such close proximity to the weapon as to claim immediate dominion over it. Eickelberg, 574 N.W.2d at 5. Defendant does not dispute that he was within such proximity to the revolver on the closet shelf. (3) To show either immediate possession or immediate control, it must be established that defendant had knowledge of the presence of the firearm. [2] From the foregoing, it appears that this is an immediate-control case rather than an immediate-possession case. Defendant urges that, notwithstanding the proximity of the firearm to his person, the State failed to establish that he knew of the weapon's existence. The State contends that knowledge of the pistol's presence may be inferred from the surrounding facts. On this issue, we find the pronouncements made in State v. Reeves, 209 N.W.2d 18 (Iowa 1973), to be helpful. In that case, we considered what must be shown to establish constructive possession of a controlled substance. In so doing, we discussed the inferences that may be employed and the inferences that are not available. We stated in Reeves that [p]roof of opportunity of access to a place where narcotics are found will not, without more, support a finding of unlawful possession. Reeves, 209 N.W.2d at 22. Later in the opinion, we stated: If the premises on which such substances are found are in the exclusive possession of the accused, knowledge of their presence on such premises coupled with his ability to maintain control over such substances may be inferred. Although no further proof of knowledge by the State is required in cases of exclusive possession by the accused the inference of knowledge is rebuttable and not conclusive. But where the accused has not been in exclusive possession of the premises but only in joint possession, knowledge of the presence of the substances on the premises and the ability to maintain control over them by the accused will not be inferred but must be established by proof. Such proof may consist either of evidence establishing actual knowledge by the accused, or evidence of incriminating statements or circumstances from which a jury might lawfully infer knowledge by the accused of the presence of the substances on the premises. Id. at 23 (emphasis added). The circumstantial evidence on which the State relies to establish defendant's knowledge of the firearm's presence all pertains to his frequent presence in Scott's home and his use of the northwest bedroom to sleep and conduct drug transactions. There is no evidence that defendant had ever accessed the purse belonging to Scott in which the firearm was contained. To the extent that this evidence shows some dominion and control by defendant over various portions of Scott's residence, that dominion or control was certainly not exclusive. There is no evidence of the type credited in the Reeves case to establish his knowledge of or control over the firearm in Scott's purse. Consequently, if a motion to withdraw the issue of defendant's immediate possession or control of the firearm from the jury had been made, it should have been granted. This omission does constitute ineffective assistance of trial counsel and requires us to set aside the jury's finding on the issue involving defendant's possession or control of a firearm. Defendant should be resentenced on count III of the trial information as if such finding had not been made.