State v. Smith ( 2017 )


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  •                     IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF IOWA
    No. 16-0533
    Filed December 6, 2017
    STATE OF IOWA,
    Plaintiff-Appellee,
    vs.
    MARTEZ DEROY SMITH,
    Defendant-Appellant.
    ________________________________________________________________
    Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County, George L.
    Stigler, Judge.
    A defendant challenges his convictions and sentences. AFFIRMED.
    Mark C. Smith, State Appellate Defender, and Theresa R. Wilson, Assistant
    Appellate Defender, for appellant.
    Thomas J. Miller, Attorney General, and Sharon K. Hall, Assistant Attorney
    General, for appellee.
    Heard by Danilson, C.J., Mullins, J., and Carr, S.J.*
    *Senior judge assigned by order pursuant to Iowa Code section 602.9206
    (2017).
    2
    CARR, Senior Judge.
    Martez Smith appeals from his convictions and sentences for murder in the
    first degree, in violation of Iowa Code sections 707.2(1), 902.1(1), and 910.3B(1)
    (2015), and domestic abuse assault, in violation of section 708.2A(2)(a).         On
    appeal, he contends (1) he received ineffective assistance of counsel when his
    counsel failed to move for dismissal as a result of a speedy-indictment violation,
    (2) he received ineffective assistance of counsel when counsel failed to object to
    prosecutorial misconduct, (3) the trial court abused its discretion in admitting
    certain evidence, and (4) the trial court abused its discretion in denying counsel
    access to a police officer’s disciplinary records. He also raises three pro se claims:
    that an instruction was improper, that he received ineffective assistance when
    counsel abandoned two potential defenses, and that his due process rights were
    violated by the cumulative effect of certain alleged errors.
    I. Background Facts and Proceedings
    On November 25, 2014, Shawonyta Norman visited his sister, Latres
    Johnson, at the home she shared with her boyfriend Martez Smith. At one point
    in the afternoon, Johnson was putting up a baby gate to confine her two dogs when
    Smith yelled at her and pushed her into the baby gate. She fell into the gate,
    breaking it, and sustaining cuts on her ankle, arm, and neck. Soon afterwards,
    Norman told Smith to stop fighting and to stop speaking to his sister in the insulting
    language Smith had been using. The situation between Smith and Norman,
    however, appeared to calm down, as the men later briefly hugged.
    Smith then went to the basement. When he returned, he asked Norman to
    join him outside. Within ten minutes, Johnson thought she observed “scuffling”
    3
    outside and went to check on the two men. Norman was by then coming up steps
    to the house and saying “he stabbed me” and “I’m not going to make it.” Johnson
    helped Norman inside. She slammed the door shut and locked it. She called 911.
    Paramedics arrived and performed CPR before transporting Norman to a nearby
    medical center. Norman was pronounced dead roughly an hour later.
    Smith was arrested soon thereafter. On November 26, he appeared before
    a magistrate and was charged with domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury.
    On January 29, 2015, an arrest warrant issued against Smith for the crime of first-
    degree murder. He was arrested in jail and charged with murder.
    The case eventually proceeded to a jury trial. Following trial, Smith was
    found guilty of domestic abuse assault and of first-degree murder. Smith was
    sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on the murder charge and to five
    years with a mandatory minimum sentence of one year on the assault charge. The
    two sentences were ordered to run consecutively. Smith was also assessed costs,
    a fine, and a restitution payment. He now appeals.
    II. Standard of Review
    The right to effective assistance of counsel finds its moorings in the Sixth
    Amendment. State v. Clay, 
    824 N.W.2d 488
    , 494 (Iowa 2012); see U.S. Const.
    amend. VI. When a defendant asserts a constitutional violation, our review is de
    novo. See Taylor v. State, 
    352 N.W.2d 683
    , 684 (Iowa 1984).
    Evidentiary rulings are reviewed for an abuse of discretion. See State v.
    Buenaventura, 
    660 N.W.2d 38
    , 50 (Iowa 2003).
    III. Analysis
    A. Speedy Indictment
    4
    Smith claims he received ineffective assistance of counsel when trial
    counsel failed to move for dismissal of Smith’s murder charge for a speedy-
    indictment violation.
    Ineffective assistance of counsel “is deficient performance by counsel
    resulting in prejudice, with performance being measured against an ‘objective
    standard of reasonableness,’ ‘under prevailing professional norms.’” Rompilla v.
    Beard, 
    545 U.S. 374
    , 380 (2005) (citations omitted). “[W]e measure counsel’s
    performance against the standard of a reasonably competent practitioner.” State
    v. Maxwell, 
    743 N.W.2d 185
    , 195 (Iowa 2008). Prejudice exists if there is “a
    reasonable probability that, but for the counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result
    of the proceeding would have been different.” 
    Id. at 196
    . “A defendant’s inability
    to prove either element is fatal.” State v. Graves, 
    668 N.W.2d 860
    , 869 (Iowa
    2003).
    The incident that led to Smith’s arrests and convictions occurred on
    November 25, 2014. He was arrested for domestic abuse assault by November
    26. A criminal complaint charging Smith with murder was filed on January 29,
    2015. A trial information on the murder charge was filed on February 9.
    The speedy-indictment rule requires that Smith be indicted for a charge
    within forty-five days of his arrest. See Iowa Ct. R. 2.33(2)(a). Smith effectively
    raises two questions: (1) does his arrest for domestic abuse assault qualify as an
    arrest on his murder charge, and (2) if not, when was he arrested for murder? Two
    recent cases have answered these questions definitively.        In State v. Penn-
    Kennedy, 
    862 N.W.2d 384
    , 390 (Iowa 2015), our supreme court reiterated that the
    5
    speedy-indictment rule does not apply “to all offenses arising from the same
    incident or episode.” The rule does not require a prosecution to commence “before
    crucial evidence is available” on greater charges. Penn-Kennedy, 862 N.W.2d at
    390; see also State v. Burton, 
    231 N.W.2d 577
    , 578 (Iowa 1975) (holding State is
    not limited “to a single charge from one episode”).        Thus, Smith’s arrest for
    purposes of domestic abuse assault does not also necessarily count as his arrest
    for murder.
    Then, in State v. Williams, 
    895 N.W.2d 856
    , 865 (Iowa 2017), the supreme
    court clarified that the speedy-indictment clock begins running when a defendant
    is arrested and brought before a magistrate. Here, on the murder charge, that
    occurred no earlier than January 29, 2015, and we can definitively say it did not
    occur at the time of the arrest for domestic abuse assault because at that time
    Smith was not taken into custody “in the manner authorized by law” on allegations
    of murder. See Williams, 895 N.W.2d at 865–67. A trial information was filed on
    February 9, within the forty-five-day limit. This indictment was therefore timely.
    Counsel does not provide ineffective assistance in failing to raise a meritless claim.
    State v. Schaer, 
    757 N.W.2d 630
    , 637 (Iowa 2008) (“Counsel has no duty to raise
    an issue or make an objection that has no merit.”). Smith’s claim fails under the
    current state of the law.
    Smith, however, argues we should decide the case under pre-Williams
    principles.   Prior to Williams, the test of whether a person was arrested for
    purposes of speedy indictment required “determin[ing] whether a reasonable
    person in the defendant’s position would have believed an arrest occurred.” State
    v. Wing, 
    791 N.W.2d 243
    , 249 (Iowa 2010). We are skeptical Williams does not
    6
    have retroactive application.1 See State v. Ragland, 
    836 N.W.2d 107
    , 114 (Iowa
    2013) (“Normally, procedural changes do not apply retroactively, while substantive
    rules of law and watershed rules of criminal procedure have retroactive
    application.”). But we concede our supreme court has not addressed the issue.
    Still, the resolution remains the same. After the instigating incidents at his
    home, Smith went to a local bar, where he hid in the cooler. At trial, Smith was
    asked the following questions about his time in the cooler:
    Q. Okay. Why did you hide in the cooler? A. I didn’t want to
    go to jail.
    Q. Okay. Why did you think you were going to jail? A.
    Because Latres told me she was calling the police on me.
    Q. When did she tell you she was calling the police on you?
    A. About the time she fell down over there by the baby gate when I
    start[ed] laughing at her.
    Q. Okay. So you hid in the cooler because you thought Latres
    had called the police? A. Correct.
    Smith was subsequently arrested. As stated above, he was charged initially only
    with domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury. This is not a case where a
    defendant could reasonably argue he believed he was not arrested. Cf. Wing, 791
    N.W.2d at 250–52 (collecting cases).           Smith admitted on the stand he was
    arrested. His argument is rather that he was arrested for murder at the same time
    as he was arrested for the domestic abuse assault. His testimony, however, belies
    that assertion. Smith believed the police were looking for him. He believed
    Johnson had called 911 after their argument—that is, prior to the incident with
    Norman. He believed he may have gone to jail based on that 911 call. Indeed,
    1
    We are additionally skeptical Smith can prove any prejudice: had he prevailed on this
    claim below, the State would likely have appealed the issue, and instead of Williams, we
    would have a hypothetical Smith, reaching the same result.
    7
    Smith additionally testified he had been convicted of assaulting Johnson before,
    suggesting familiarity with the process. We conclude a reasonable person in
    Smith’s position would have believed an arrest for domestic abuse assault
    occurred at the time of Smith’s initial arrest, based on Smith’s beliefs as to when
    and why the police were called and the charging documents in the matter. A
    reasonable person in Smith’s position would not have had reason to conclude an
    arrest for murder occurred at the time. Smith’s claim fails.
    B. Prosecutorial Misconduct
    Smith next claims his counsel was ineffective because counsel failed to
    object to prosecutorial misconduct in the form of statements during closing
    argument that went beyond the evidence presented at trial.          The challenged
    statements essentially concern two topics: (1) the relative physical positions of the
    assailant and Norman during the stabbing altercation and (2) the disparity between
    the number of stab wounds Norman sustained and the number of holes in his shirt.
    The prosecutor advanced a theory purporting to synthesize Smith’s left-
    handedness, the angle and direction of Norman’s stab wounds, and a cut Smith
    sustained. The theory required “suppos[ing] that the two people are not facing one
    another and that the stabber is standing behind the victim and reaching around
    and stabbing.” As to the disparity between the number of holes in Norman’s shirt
    and the number of wounds he sustained, the prosecutor told the jury, “If it’s been
    bunched up, lifted up and bunched up, so that the wounds to the—the holes to the
    shirt are now higher on the body underneath the clothing, and because it’s
    bunched up, that a hole would produce multiple holes in the folded-up clothing, but
    only one wound to the body.” Smith objects there was no evidence on how the
    8
    assailant and Norman were standing and the prosecutor’s statements amounted
    to speculation and testimony.
    A prosecutor has wide latitude in making a closing argument. See Clayton
    v. Roper, 
    515 F.3d 784
    , 792 (8th Cir. 2008); State v. Phillips, 
    226 N.W.2d 16
    , 19
    (Iowa 1975). A prosecutor is allowed to draw conclusions and argue permissible
    inferences that may be reasonably derived from the evidence. State v. Shanahan,
    
    712 N.W.2d 121
    , 139 (Iowa 2006). The prosecutor cannot misstate the law, assert
    a personal opinion, or create evidence. 
    Id. at 139-40
    . This does not preclude all
    personalized remarks, though; “it merely precludes those that do not appear to be
    based on the evidence.” State v. Williams, 
    334 N.W.2d 742
    , 745 (Iowa 1983).
    Smith is the only living eyewitness to the stabbing. He recalled “grappling”
    with Norman but did not testify about the relative positions of the two at the time.
    The evidence did not establish why the number of stab wounds and holes in
    Norman’s shirt differed. However, nothing in the prosecutor’s closing argument
    went beyond the wide latitude afforded him.       It was unknown how Smith and
    Norman stood when the stabbing occurred. However, the evidence did establish
    the defendant was left-handed, did establish a knife was used to stab the victim,
    and did establish the location of the stab wounds on Norman’s body. The medical
    examiner testified about the trajectory of the wounds. The prosecutor’s statements
    were conclusions and permissible inferences reasonably derived from the
    evidence presented, as were the prosecutor’s statements about the victim’s shirt
    bunching up.     The prosecutor argued permissible inferences.         We find no
    misconduct here. See Graves, 
    668 N.W.2d at 869
     (requiring “misconduct” to
    establish prosecutorial misconduct).
    9
    Smith argues the prosecutor was testifying about an area that should be left
    to experts. We have already discussed our disagreement that the prosecutor was
    testifying. We additionally disagree that this area necessarily be left to experts.
    The medical examiner testified he would be able to establish “relative trajectory”
    of the knife that caused the stab wounds if he knew the combatants’ positions and
    that he was unable to make a determination of their positions without a “starting
    point.” In short, he testified he lacked all the necessary information to reach a
    conclusion. This is, in essence, expert testimony on the nature of the information
    necessary to reach the conclusion Smith argues requires expert testimony. See
    Iowa R. Evid. 5.702 (defining expert testimony to include “scientific, technical, or
    other specialized knowledge”).     Yet in this case—and in any other without
    eyewitnesses or willing confessors—that information would necessarily be proven
    by circumstantial evidence from which it could be inferred.         Under Smith’s
    proposed rule, no inferences could be drawn about the relative positions of the
    assailant and victim because no expert testimony was offered—indeed, none could
    be—on those positions. Jurors need not abandon that logic upon entering the jury
    box. See State v. Manning, 
    224 N.W.2d 232
    , 236 (Iowa 1974). Expert testimony
    is not required to allow the jury to make an inference about the relative positions
    of two individuals. All our law requires is sufficient evidentiary support for any
    inference. See State v. Kemp, 
    688 N.W.2d 785
    , 789 (Iowa 2004). Although Smith
    does not directly challenge the sufficiency of the evidentiary support for this
    inference, we believe our discussion above concluding the prosecutor argued
    permissible inferences answers the argument nonetheless.
    10
    For the foregoing reasons, it was not ineffective assistance to fail to object.
    See Schaer, 
    757 N.W.2d at 637
    .
    C. Evidentiary Claims
    Smith next argues the district court abused its discretion in admitting certain
    evidence. Specifically: (1) evidence regarding Smith’s prior conviction for domestic
    assault against Johnson and other evidence of his domestic abuse of Johnson, (2)
    evidence regarding a witness’s criminal mischief conviction involving Norman, and
    (3) a photograph of a tattoo on Smith’s back. Smith preserved error on the third
    claim by objecting to admission of the photograph. He did not preserve error on
    the first two claims, so we analyze them under an ineffective-assistance rubric.
    See State v. Ondayog, 
    722 N.W.2d 778
    , 784 (Iowa 2006) (“Ineffective-assistance-
    of-counsel claims are not bound by traditional error-preservation rules.”).
    The defendant asked the district court to prohibit testimony on his
    relationship with Johnson through a motion in limine. In a pre-trial order, the district
    court denied that request.2 It ruled: “[T]he court overrules the defense’s application
    to not permit testimony as to the turbulent history between Martez Smith and the
    alleged victim in the domestic abuse case, Latres Johnson. The court finds this to
    be relevant, especially in the domestic abuse case and [the evidence] also sets
    the stage for a better understanding of the alleged events between the defendant
    and Mr. Norman.”
    2
    As noted above, we believe this was insufficient to preserve error. “Ordinarily, error
    claimed in a court’s ruling on a motion in limine is waived unless a timely objection is made
    when the evidence is offered at trial.” Schaer, 
    757 N.W.2d at 634
    .
    11
    Smith now contends it was an abuse of discretion to admit evidence on this
    “turbulent” relationship. He argues, as a serious misdemeanor, his conviction for
    domestic abuse assault would not be a proper one with which to impeach him.
    See Iowa R. Evid. 5.609(a)(1). He also argues the evidence was inadmissible
    prior-bad-acts evidence. See Iowa R. Evid. 5.404(b).          He also argues it was
    irrelevant to the murder charge. See Iowa Rs. Evid. 5.401-.402.
    This evidence was admissible, and it was not an abuse of discretion to admit
    it. See State v. Rodriquez, 
    636 N.W.2d 234
    , 239 (Iowa 2001) (“An abuse of
    discretion occurs when the trial court exercises its discretion ‘on grounds or for
    reasons clearly untenable or to an extent clearly unreasonable.’” (citation omitted)).
    Evidence of the couple’s tumultuous relationship was relevant to show, for
    instance, the nature of their relationship. This goes beyond impeaching Smith or
    attempting to show Smith acted in conformity with some prior character. Cf. Iowa
    Rs. Evid. 5.404(b), .609(a)(1). It gets to the heart of how the two related to each
    other and understood each other. And it would have been relevant to the murder
    charge to explain the genesis of the discord with Norman. Counsel was not
    ineffective for failing to object to the admission of this evidence. See Schaer, 
    757 N.W.2d at 637
    .
    Next, Smith directs our attention to an exchange between the State and a
    defense witness. Although a pre-trial ruling allowed the State to ask the witness if
    she had been previously convicted of a felony or a crime of dishonesty—she had,
    fifteen times—the ruling did not permit the State to delve into the specifics of her
    offenses. See State v. Willard, 
    351 N.W.2d 516
    , 518–19 (Iowa 1984) (noting it is
    “permissible, for impeachment purposes, to inquire into the specific nature of a
    12
    witness’ prior felony conviction” but not the details of the crime itself). The State
    asked the witness, “You had been ordered not to have any contact with [Norman]
    because you had damaged his truck; isn’t that right?”         Smith contends that
    question impermissibly delved into the specifics of the witness’s crime.
    Examining this argument through the lens of ineffective assistance of
    counsel, we conclude there was no prejudice to Smith from his counsel’s failure to
    object to this question. The question was a minor one in the scheme of this trial.
    The challenged information solicited—that the witness did some damage to
    Norman’s truck—has little bearing on her credibility or on the outcome of the case.
    The theories advanced by Smith are that this information would lead the jury to
    believe Norman was a victim in need of protection, that he was a peaceful person,
    or that he was weak. These are unlikely conclusions to draw from one question.
    This argument fails.
    Last, Smith objects to the admission of a photograph of his back, showing
    a tattoo featuring the words “Global Gangsta.” He contends the photograph was
    unfairly prejudicial. See Iowa R. Evid. 5.403. He seemingly argues the jury could
    have been led to believe he was a member of a gang from this tattoo. “[E]vidence
    of gang membership and activity is inherently prejudicial. It appeals to the jury’s
    instinct to punish gang members.” State v. Nance, 
    533 N.W.2d 557
    , 562 (Iowa
    1995).
    We conclude the court did not abuse its discretion in admitting this
    photograph. The evidence was relevant to show Smith did not sustain injuries to
    his back, which corroborates other testimony about Smith’s condition. It was also
    relevant to show the completeness of the police investigation, especially when
    13
    considered in the context of its joint submission into evidence with several other
    photographs of Smith. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in balancing this
    probative value, however slight, with any minor prejudice obtained by showing the
    tattoo. There was no mention of gangs during the trial. Cf. State v. Caples, 
    857 N.W.2d 641
    , 647 (Iowa Ct. App. 2014) (distinguishing Nance where “presentation
    of gang evidence was limited”); State v. Thomas, No. 03-1642, 
    2005 WL 1224585
    ,
    at *3 (Iowa Ct. App. May 25, 2005) (distinguishing Nance where prosecution
    “presented no evidence that defendant was actually a gang member or involved in
    gang activity”); State v. Dixon, No. 00-829, 
    2001 WL 1450991
    , at *4 (Iowa Ct. App.
    Nov. 16, 2001) (distinguishing Nance where “no evidence was presented to
    suggest that either Dixon or James was a gang member”); State v. James, No. 00-
    831, 
    2001 WL 803814
    , at *4 (Iowa Ct. App. July 18, 2001) (distinguishing Nance
    where “there was no evidence that the defendant or his codefendant were
    members of a gang”). No one commented on the tattoo. Additionally, we think it
    unlikely anyone would infer gang membership from a tattoo of this sort. See
    generally John E. Theuman, Annotation, Admissibility of Evidence of Accused’s
    Membership in Gang, 
    39 A.L.R. 4th 775
     (1985) (collecting cases in which,
    generally, gang tattoos identify specific gang or gang-related activity).          We
    conclude there was no abuse of discretion in admitting this photograph.
    D. Disciplinary Records
    Finally, Smith argues the district court abused its discretion by denying him
    access to disciplinary records of a police officer involved in the investigation of the
    case. The officer in question did some preliminary work at the crime scene and
    supervised some of the work done on the case thereafter. The officer played
    14
    almost no role in the actual investigation. Despite that, Smith seeks access to the
    officer’s disciplinary record. Smith points to no evidence suggesting anything in
    the file would be relevant to this case or the officer’s handling of his duties on this
    case. After examining the file in camera, the district court ruled: “I will preserve
    [the disciplinary file] for record purposes under seal, but it has nothing at all to do
    with anything even remotely touching upon Mr. Smith’s circumstances. So I am
    not going to turn it over to the defense.”3 We presume personnel records are
    confidential. See 
    Iowa Code § 22.7
    (11)(a); Am. Civil Liberties Union Found. v.
    Records Custodian, 
    818 N.W.2d 231
    , 235–36 (Iowa 2012); Doe v. Univ. of Iowa,
    No. 12-0357, 
    2013 WL 85781
    , at *2–3 (Iowa Ct. App. Jan. 9, 2013). Smith argues
    his “fundamental interest in accessing the records . . . to determine whether they
    contain evidence material to the outcome of his case” outweighs the officer’s
    interest in maintaining confidentiality. We disagree. On this record, we conclude
    the district court did not abuse its discretion in preventing Smith’s access.
    E. Pro Se Claims
    Smith raises additional claims pro se.           His first claim is that the jury
    instructions marshaling the elements of murder were inadequate under State v.
    Heemstra, 
    721 N.W.2d 549
    , 558–59 (Iowa 2006), because “we have no indication
    as to which basis of guilt the jury accepted.” He is incorrect. In Heemstra, the
    crime of willful injury was submitted to the jury as a potential predicate felony for a
    felony-murder conviction.       
    721 N.W.2d at
    552–53.           Here, willful injury was
    submitted as a lesser crime the jury could consider if and only if it declined to
    3
    We have reviewed the disciplinary file and agree with the district court’s evaluation of its
    relevance.
    15
    convict Smith of murder and several other crimes. Willful injury was not submitted
    to the jury as a basis for a murder conviction. Under the submitted jury instructions,
    by finding Smith guilty of first-degree murder, the jury found he “acted with malice
    aforethought” and “acted willfully, deliberately, premeditatedly, and with specific
    intent to kill Shawonyta Norman.” Therefore, unlike in Heemstra, we know “which
    basis of guilt the jury accepted,” and that basis is willful, deliberate, and
    premeditated murder. See 
    Iowa Code § 707.2
    (1)(a).
    Smith’s second claim is that he received ineffective assistance of counsel
    when his trial counsel abandoned defenses of justification and intoxication. The
    record is not adequate to consider this claim. We preserve it for consideration in
    a possible postconviction-relief proceeding.
    Third, Smith asserts he was denied due process by the cumulative harm
    done by several individual errors he concedes are harmless in isolation. These
    errors are: (1) the jury hearing an argument between two persons in the hallway
    outside the courtroom, (2) the court informing the jury of threats made by a friend
    of a defendant in another case, (3) the court allowing Johnson to testify with her
    back to the defendant, and (4) the court allowing admission of a knife into evidence.
    Near the end of one day of trial, an audible skirmish broke out in the hallway
    outside the courtroom. The court quickly adjourned for the day. The next day,
    outside the presence of the jury, the lawyers and court agreed not to mention the
    incident further. It does not appear the jury would have been aware whether the
    parties involved in the altercation were witnesses in the case. We fail to see how
    this would have any impact on Smith’s due process rights.
    16
    The court informed the jury of an incident in a recent case in which a
    member of the public had approached a juror and asked the juror to find the
    defendant not guilty. The court informed the jury of this incident, which was called
    a “one in a million” event, by way of explaining how the jury would be moved about
    the courtroom during the trial. The next day, two jurors were reported to have
    taken the court’s remarks to suggest the possibility of harassment or intimidation
    as a result of their jury service. Each was questioned by the court on the subject.
    One juror was excused. The second juror, after a discussion with the court,
    indicated her concerns had been addressed and remained on the jury. Smith
    argues this remaining juror was scared and a mistrial should have been declared.
    There is no evidence the juror was scared following her conversation with the
    court. This claim has no merit.
    Johnson refused to face the defendant during her testimony. We can find
    no case compelling a witness to face one direction or another. “The Confrontation
    Clause does not, of course, compel the witness to fix his eyes upon the defendant;
    he may studiously look elsewhere, but the trier of fact will draw its own
    conclusions.” Coy v. Iowa, 
    487 U.S. 1012
    , 1019 (1988). Certainly a witness’s
    demeanor may bear upon his or her credibility, but we see no constitutional
    infirmity in allowing a witness to testify as Johnson did.
    A pocket knife that was not involved in the crime was entered into evidence.
    Smith contends the probative value of this evidence was substantially outweighed
    by its danger of unfair prejudice. See Iowa R. Evid. 5.403. When the knife was
    admitted, the officer who discovered it testified it was not involved in the case and
    there was no blood on it. The evidence is relevant to the police investigation in
    17
    this matter. It has little to no probative value and virtually zero prejudice to the
    defendant. We review admissions of evidence for abuse of discretion. See Mercer
    v. Pittway Corp., 
    616 N.W.2d 602
    , 612 (Iowa 2000). We cannot say the court
    abused its discretion in admitting this evidence.
    Cumulatively, there was no constitutional harm done to Smith by these four
    alleged errors. We conclude no harm resulted from any. We likewise conclude in
    totality they do not rise to the level of denying Smith due process. See More v.
    State, 
    880 N.W.2d 487
    , 499 (Iowa 2016) (“Due process requires fundamental
    fairness in a judicial proceeding . . . .”); State v. Willard, 
    756 N.W.2d 207
    , 214 (Iowa
    2008) (“At the very least, procedural due process requires ‘notice and opportunity
    to be heard in a proceeding that is “adequate to safeguard the right for which the
    constitutional protection is invoked.”’” (citations omitted)).
    F. Conclusion
    For the foregoing reasons, we affirm Smith’s convictions and sentences.
    18
    We preserve his ineffective-assistance claim concerning the defenses of
    justification and intoxication for possible postconviction relief.
    AFFIRMED.