United States v. Mathison, No. 13-2896 (8th Cir. 2014)
Annotate this CaseDefendant appealed her convictions stemming from a robbery of a mini mart. The court concluded that the district court did not err in instructing the jury on her affirmative defense of coercion or duress where she herself requested the instruction. Further, this was not an exceptional case warranting review of defendant's ineffective assistance claims on direct appeal. Such claims would more appropriately be raised in a collateral challenge to defendant's conviction. Accordingly, the court affirmed the judgment of the district court.
Court Description: Criminal case - Criminal law. Defendant requested a coercion or duress instruction and could not now argue that the court erred in giving it; claim of ineffective assistance of counsel would not be considered in this direct appeal.
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