Iowa General Assembly Banner


907.3 Deferred judgment, deferred sentence or suspended sentence.

Pursuant to section 901.5, the trial court may, upon a plea of guilty, a verdict of guilty, or a special verdict upon which a judgment of conviction may be rendered, exercise any of the options contained in this section. However, this section does not apply to a forcible felony.

1. With the consent of the defendant, the court may defer judgment and place the defendant on probation upon such conditions as it may require. Upon a showing that the defendant is not co-operating with the program of probation or is not responding to it, the court may withdraw the defendant from the program, pronounce judgment, and impose any sentence authorized by law. Before taking such action, the court shall give the defendant an opportunity to be heard on any matter relevant to the proposed action. Upon fulfillment of the conditions of probation, the defendant shall be discharged without entry of judgment. Upon violation of the conditions of probation, the court may proceed as provided in chapter 908.

However, this subsection shall not apply if any of the following is true:

a. The offense is a violation of section 709.8 and the child is twelve years of age or under.

b. The defendant previously has been convicted of a felony. "Felony" means a conviction in a court of this or any other state or of the United States, of an offense classified as a felony by the law under which the defendant was convicted at the time of the defendant's conviction.

c. Prior to the commission of the offense the defendant had been granted a deferred judgment or similar relief, two or more times anywhere in the United States.

d. Prior to the commission of the offense the defendant had been granted a deferred judgment or similar relief in a felony prosecution anywhere in the United States within the preceding five years, measured from the date of granting of deferment of judgment to the date of commission of the offense.

e. The defendant committed an assault as defined in section 708.1, against a peace officer in the performance of the peace officer's duty.

f. The defendant is a corporation.

g. The offense is a violation of section 321J.2 and, within the previous six years, the person has been convicted of a violation of that section or the person's driver's license has been revoked pursuant to section 321J.4, 321J.9, or 321J.12.

h. Prior to the commission of the offense the defendant had been granted a deferred judgment or deferred sentence for a violation of section 708.2 or 708.2A which was issued on a domestic abuse assault, or was granted similar relief anywhere in the United States concerning that jurisdiction's statutes which substantially correspond to domestic abuse assault as provided in section 708.2A, and the current offense is a violation of section 708.2A.

i. The offense is a finding of contempt pursuant to section 236.8 or 236.14.

2. At the time of or after pronouncing judgment and with the consent of the defendant, the court may defer the sentence and assign the defendant to the judicial district department of correctional services. However, the court shall not defer the sentence for a violation of section 708.2A if the defendant has previously received a deferred judgment or sentence for a violation of section 708.2 or 708.2A which was issued on a domestic abuse assault, or if similar relief was granted anywhere in the United States concerning that jurisdiction's statutes which substantially correspond to domestic abuse assault as provided in section 708.2A. In addition, the court shall not defer a sentence if it is imposed for contempt pursuant to section 236.8 or 236.14. Upon a showing that the defendant is not fulfilling the conditions of probation, the court may revoke probation and impose any sentence authorized by law. Before taking such action, the court shall give the defendant an opportunity to be heard on any matter relevant to the proposed action. Upon violation of the conditions of probation, the court may proceed as provided in chapter 908.

3. By record entry at the time of or after sentencing, the court may suspend the sentence and place the defendant on probation upon such terms and conditions as it may require including commitment to an alternate jail facility or a community correctional residential treatment facility for a specific number of days to be followed by a term of probation as specified in section 907.7. A person so committed who has probation revoked shall be given credit for such time served. However, the court shall not suspend the minimum term of two days imposed pursuant to section 708.2A, and the court shall not suspend a sentence imposed pursuant to section 236.8 or 236.14 for contempt.

Section History: Early form

[S13, § 5447-a; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 3800; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, § 247.20; C75, 77, § 789A.1; C79, 81, § 907.3; 81 Acts, ch 206, § 17; 82 Acts, ch 1167, § 28]

Section History: Recent form

86 Acts, ch 1220, § 45; 88 Acts, ch 1168, § 3, 4; 89 Acts, ch 296, § 93; 91 Acts, ch 218, §30; 91 Acts, ch 219, §25, 26; 93 Acts, ch 157, §11, 12

Internal References

Referred to in § 321.218, 321J.2, 321J.4, 707.6A, 708.2A, 708.11, 901.5, 907.4, 907.9, 907.10

Footnotes

Definition of forcible felony, § 702.11 ~IFor bail after deferred judgment, see § 811.2, 811.11


Return To Home Iowa General Assembly

index Search: Iowa Code 1995

© 1996 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa


Comments? webmaster@legis.iowa.gov.

Last update: Thu Feb 8 18:14:51 CST 1996
URL: /IACODE/1995/907/3.html
jhf