State v. Tonelli

APPEL, Justice.

In this case, we must decide whether the term “conspiracy,” as used in the Iowa Rules of Evidence to allow for the admission of statements by coconspirators, is limited by the definition of criminal “conspiracy” found in the Iowa criminal code. We hold that while the crime of “conspiracy” arises under Iowa law only with respect to agreements to perform acts amounting to aggravated misdemeanors or felonies, the evidentiary rule may be applied more broadly to combinations or agreements to accomplish a criminal or unlawful act, or to do a lawful act in an unlawful manner.

I.…