State of Iowa v. Dennis James Boone Jr.

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF IOWA

No. 23-0327
Filed February 7, 2024

STATE OF IOWA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,

vs.

DENNIS JAMES BOONE JR.,
Defendant-Appellant.
________________________________________________________________

Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County, David P.

Odekirk, Judges.

Dennis Boone Jr. appeals the sentence imposed by the district court

following his guilty plea to possession of a firearm as a felon. AFFIRMED.

Martha J. Lucey, State Appellate Defender, and Vidhya K. Reddy, Assistant

Appellate Defender, for appellant.

Brenna Bird, Attorney General, Nicholas E. Siefert and Kyle Hanson (until

withdrawal), Assistant Attorneys General, and Matt Braun, Student Legal Intern,

for appellee.

Considered by Bower, C.J., Schumacher, J., and Gamble, S.J.*

*Senior judge assigned by order pursuant to Iowa Code section 602.9206

(2024).
2

BOWER, Chief Judge.

Dennis Boone Jr. appeals the imposition of a prison sentence after entering

a guilty plea to possession of a firearm as a felon. We affirm.

I. Background Facts and Proceedings

Boone and the State entered into a plea agreement in which Boone would

plead guilty to possession of a firearm as a felon and the State would “agree[] to

not refer [the] case for federal prosecution.” At sentencing, the State

recommended the court order Boone serve a term of imprisonment of not more

than five years, to run consecutively to a sentence in Linn County where he was

already on probation. Boone requested the district court suspend the sentence

and consider placing him in a “residential facility.” Boone also asked the court to

run this sentence “concurrent to the Linn County case.” The defense highlighted

the “unique” situation resulting in Boone’s arrest, that he was “not driving around

threatening people” or “running from authorities”; rather, when officers came to his

home to serve an arrest warrant,1 he was compliant and revealed he had a

weapon.2 Boone added, “I’ve never shot or killed anyone. I’m not violent”; “I

apologized for having that weapon. I know I wasn’t supposed to have that

weapon.” The defense also noted Boone had “accepted responsibility for that

action by entering a plea in this matter and is asking the Court for a second

chance.”

1 We note the arrest warrant served on Boone was related to a probation violation

in Linn County.
2 Boone acknowledges officers came to his home “to serve a warrant” on him for

the Linn County case, at which time “[t]he firearm (pistol) was seized from [his]
waistband.”
3

The district court considered several relevant factors including Boone’s age,

criminal history, employment circumstances, and family circumstances; the

presentence investigation report (PSI); the parties’ statements to the court; the

circumstances of the crimes; Boone’s chances for rehabilitation; and the need to

protect the community from further offenses. The court further stated:

The Court would note that I placed particular—or paid
particular attention to Mr. Boone’s past criminal history in this case
and, had we had a situation where he had not had the recent Linn
County conviction and absconded from probation there, the Court
would find that the correctional services available through the
[residential facility] or probation—further probation might be
appropriate. But in light of all of the most recent history especially
from Linn County, the Court does not find that a suspended sentence
would be appropriate and, therefore, I will sentence the defendant to
a term of imprisonment not to exceed five years. The $1025 fine and
15 percent surcharge will be suspended.
Given the past criminal history I’ve referred to and which
includes, again, absconding from probation in Linn County, and the
serious nature of possessing weapons as a felon, the Court does find
that it is appropriate to run this case consecutive to the sentence in
Linn County case FECR139444. . . .
The five-year sentence I’m pronouncing does not necessarily
mean that you will serve the entire five years. That five-year
sentence may be cut nearly in half by work credit, good time credit,
and educational credit. The parole board is entirely responsible for
determining how much time you serve, and you may be eligible for
parole before your sentence in this case is discharged.

On appeal,3 Boone claims the court abused its discretion by “imposing

prison, rather than affording him probation supervision.” To support his claim,

Boone points out “[a]lthough [he] has a criminal history, including prior weapons

charges, his prior offenses did not include active violence or the infliction of injuries

upon others.” He also states he was “wholly cooperative with law enforcement” at

3 Because Boone appeals his sentence, he has established good cause to appeal.

State v. Damme, 944 N.W.2d 98, 105 (Iowa 2020).
4

the time of his arrest and has “accepted responsibility for the felon in possession

charge by entering a plea of guilty.” According to Boone, a suspended sentence

would allow him to “become reemployed” and “take care of his children, as well as

of his wife who had just recovered from a serious health condition.”4

II. Standard of Review

We review sentencing decisions for correction of errors at law. Damme,

944 N.W.2d at 103. “[T]he decision of the district court to impose a particular

sentence within the statutory limits is cloaked with a strong presumption in its favor,

and will only be overturned for an abuse of discretion or the consideration of

inappropriate matters.” State v. Formaro, 638 N.W.2d 720, 724 (Iowa 2002). “[W]e

review a sentence for an abuse of discretion based on the entire record, and look

to see if the reasons articulated by the trial court are sufficient to enable us to

determine if an abuse of discretion occurred.” State v. Boltz, 542 N.W.2d 9, 11

(Iowa Ct. App. 1995).

III. Analysis

Here, the court noted it had considered the PSI, Boone’s criminal history,

and the circumstances of the instant crime—which led to the court’s apprehension

about whether supervised probation would be “appropriate.” Indeed, Boone had

“a history of probation violations and noncompliance with [c]ourt orders,” and he

had absconded from probation supervision. And although Boone had not “shot or

killed anyone,” the year prior he was charged after he “pointed a loaded . . .

shotgun at [a woman].” Upon our review, we find the district court did not abuse

4 At sentencing, Boone stated his “wife” had “just recovered from meningitis.”
5

its discretion “on grounds or for reasons that were clearly untenable or

unreasonable” in imposing Boone’s sentence. Formaro, 638 N.W.2d at 724. We

therefore affirm.

AFFIRMED.