State v. Garcia

616 N.W.2d 594 (2000)

From our private database of 46,500+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

State v. Garcia

Iowa Supreme Court
616 N.W.2d 594 (2000)

SR

Facts

Alejandro Garcia (defendant) shot Daniel Hernandez Gonzalez four times. One of the bullets perforated Gonzalez’s lungs. After receiving surgery, Gonzalez developed Adult Respiratory Disease Syndrome, which required him to be placed on a ventilator. During Gonzalez’s hospitalization, a hospital employee decided to change the tube connecting Gonzalez to the ventilator. Upon removal of the tube, swelling in Gonzalez’s neck caused his airway to close, and he asphyxiated. Garcia was charged with first-degree murder. Garcia sought to prove that grossly negligent medical treatment was an intervening and superseding cause of Gonzalez’s death, such that Garcia was not liable for murder. Prior to trial, the prosecution moved to exclude evidence regarding this defense. The trial court granted the motion, ruling that the medical treatment could not be a superseding cause of death because the medical treatment was not the sole proximate cause of death—both the shooting and the medical treatment were found to be proximate causes of Gonzalez’s death. Garcia was tried for and convicted of first-degree murder. The court of appeals reversed on the ground that it was error to exclude evidence as to Garcia’s defense. The state (plaintiff) petitioned the Iowa Supreme Court for review.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Larson, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 832,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,500 briefs, keyed to 994 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,500 briefs - keyed to 994 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership