State v. Ragland

SCHULTZ, Justice.

This appeal concerns the constitutionality of Iowa’s felony-murder rule, Iowa Code § 707.2(2) (1981), when the underlying felony is willful injury, Iowa Code § 708.4. The State charged defendant Jeffrey K. Ragland with first-degree murder for the death of Timothy Sieff, on the alternative grounds that the killing was either done willfully, deliberately and with premeditation or while participating in a forceable felony. Following trial, defendant was convicted of first-degree murder when the jury returned a special verdict of felony-murder. Defendant challenges application of…