This appeal is a sequel to
State v. Walton,
Defendant contends trial court erred (1) in overruling his motion to dismiss the section 724.26 count, grounded on the contention that the statute had no application to a felon convicted before its effective date; (2) in failing to instruct the jury on his asserted defense of necessity; and (3) in overruling his objections to an exhibit disclosing his conviction of other crimes.
I. Application of Section 724.26.
What we wrote in
Walton I
applies here.
State v. Hall,
II. Defense of Necessity.
Defendant produced testimony tending to show that after he shot Wilder he was the target of threats by Wilder’s friends and cousin, Cynthia Jones; that he complained to the police, the county attorney, and the public defender without success; and that Jones carried a gun. Although defendant did not testify, the inference is raised that he thought it necessary to carry a revolver for his own protection.
Defendant’s evidence also disclosed that he was advised by personnel in the offices of the county attorney and public defender, by the police, and by his own sister to stay at home (he was unemployed) and to avoid Waterloo’s Fourth Street and its taverns, where he would likely encounter the persons he allegedly feared. Defendant took the position that he would not stay at home, that “he was a man and he was going to go wherever he wanted to go.”
Trial court rejected defendant’s requested instruction on the defense of necessity and refused to instruct the jury on this defense. Defendant insists this was reversible error.
It is true this court early recognized the defense of necessity.
State v. Ward,
Reese
addressed unique circumstances anchored in the defendant’s confinement, and accordingly generated conditions for invoking the defense that do not apply generally.
Reese,
For the purposes of this case we assume the necessity defense may be available to a felon who frequents bars armed with a concealed firearm, even though we cannot now conceive such circumstances. We also make the doubtful assumption that this defendant did not bring about the situation which required him to go armed. Nonetheless, although the State must carry the burden to disprove the necessity defense beyond a reasonable doubt, the defendant has the burden of generating a fact question on the defense.
Reese,
The necessity defense does not apply except in emergency situations where the threatened harm is immediate and the threatened disaster imminent. The defendant must be stripped of options by which he or she might avoid
both
evils.
See Reese,
This requirement that the threat must be immediate and not future has been invoked in related defenses. In a case of compulsion, or duress,
State v. Clay,
Fears of future injuries do not excuse an offense. ... The necessity which will excuse a man for breach of law must be instant and imminent. .. .
. .. The compulsion which will excuse a criminal act, however, must be present, imminent, and impending, and of such a nature as to induce a well grounded apprehension of death or serious bodily harm if the act is not done. A threat of future injury is not enough. Such compulsion must have arisen without the negligence or fault of the person who insists upon it as a defense.
See also Campbell,
Analyzing defendant’s evidence under the fifth factor, above, we find no evidence that the alleged threats placed him in immediate
III. Evidence of Other Crimes.
Unlike Walton I, in this case the State narrowed its offer of evidence to prove defendant was a felon. It offered, as separate exhibits, a copy of a probation violation report and a copy of the judgment revoking probation and convicting defendant of the crime of malicious injury to a building. Defendant pointed out these instruments contained information concerning the offenses upon which the revocation was grounded, and objected that this evidence was prejudicial and would “inflame the jury.” Defendant offered to “stipulate,” and by that we assume he intended to concede or admit on the record the point the State was seeking to prove, that he had pled guilty to the section 714.1 violation and that the deferred sentence was later revoked.
Trial court sustained the objection as to the probation violation report, but permitted the judgment exhibit to go to the jury. Thus the jury, in addition to learning defendant was convicted on the malicious injury to a building charge, also learned he had been convicted of assault and battery, and driving while his license was under suspension.
In the circumstances disclosed here we hold this was prejudicial error. Our analysis in
Walton I
applies.
See State v. Rupp,
We reverse the judgment of the district court and remand for new trial.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
