State of Iowa v. Robert Anthony Howard

WATERMAN, Justice.

After the police detective questioning him promised treatment and implied he would go free if he completed treatment, defendant, Robert Howard, confessed to sexually abusing his girlfriend’s son. Howard contends his confession is inadmissible under our caselaw prohibiting the use of confessions obtained following a promise of leniency. The district court denied Howard’s motion to suppress his confession, and the jury that heard his confession convicted him of second-degree sexual abuse and child endangerment. A divided court of appeals affirmed his convictions and…