Opinion ID: 2222135
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: motions, verdict, and sentencing

Text: The State charged Cook with first degree murder under alternative theories. In the information, the State charged that Cook did ... purposely and with deliberate and premeditated malice, or during the perpetration of, or attempt to perpetrate a First Degree Sexual Assault, kill Amy Stahlecker. Cook was also charged with use of a weapon to commit a felony, but Cook was not separately charged with first degree sexual assault. At the end of the State's case, Cook's attorney moved the court: for a dismissal of these charges against the defendant for the reason that the State has failed to meet it's [sic] prima facie case against the defendant. And my guess is you'll probably let it go to the jury on the issue of first degree murder, but I'm going to ask the Court to consider dismissing the action against the defendant on the first degree sexual assault. And then in the alternative, sir, I would ask the Judgethis Court to enter an acquittal of the defendant on those two charges, but particularly the sexual assault charge. The district court overruled the motion. At the end of all the evidence, Cook renewed his motion and the district court again overruled it. Cook's attorney objected to the jury instruction on the count of first degree murder, stating, I'm going to object to this, the State being able to charge Mr. Cook with both deliberate and premeditated malice or during the perpetration of a first degree sexual assault. The district court asked, Do you think the State should be required to elect? When Cook's attorney replied in the affirmative, the district court overruled the objection. In instructing the jury on the charge of murder, the district court gave a step instruction, in which it instructed the jury on four types of homicide: first degree murderfelony murder, first degree murderpremeditated murder, second degree murder, and manslaughter. As part of the step instruction, the district court instructed the jury to first consider whether Cook committed felony murder and, if it found that he had not, then to consider whether he committed premeditated murder. On April 26, 2001, the jury returned verdicts finding Cook guilty of first degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony. The verdict form stated that the jury found Cook guilty of Murder in the First Degree but did not specify whether the jury found him guilty of first degree murder-felony murder or first degree murder-premeditated murder. Cook, through defense counsel, filed a motion for new trial. Cook, pro se, filed additional motions for new trial. The district court overruled the motions for new trial. A presentence investigation report was prepared prior to sentencing. The report included a probation officer's report, in which the probation officer concluded that Cook has a very volatile temper, is a womanizer and could almost be considered a sociopath and that Cook is a very dangerous individual. The probation officer then asked that the district court consider life imprisonment with an additional 50 years for the charge of Use of a Firearm to Commit a Felony. The report also contained various letters written in support of Cook. On July 20, 2001, the court sentenced Cook to life imprisonment on the first degree murder conviction and to 49 ½ to 50 years' imprisonment on the weapons conviction. Cook appeals his convictions and sentences.