State of Iowa v. Michael Craig Glynn

Boone, Iowa criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with arson.

In 2013, P.M. met Michael Glynn. Their relationship became romantic, and within two years Glynn moved into P.M.'s home. The couple married in 2020, but by January 2023, the relationship had soured. P.M. asked Glynn to move out early that year, and she filed for divorce shortly thereafter.



Glynn did not respond well to the dissolution proceedings. He threatened self-harm after P.M. asked him to move out. Despite her requests that Glynn stay away, Glynn showed up twice at P.M.'s home and physically assaulted her. Glynn's conduct became so concerning, P.M.'s adult son stayed with her as often as he could. P.M. eventually obtained a temporary no-contact order against Glynn, but the string of text messages sent to P.M. in the days after the order was granted showed a disregard for the court order.



The relationship's collapse led to the events of May 1, 2023. Early that afternoon, a neighbor who was aware of the no-contact order saw Glynn walking up P.M.'s driveway toward the house. P.M. was not home at the time. The neighbor called P.M.'s son, who in turn called law enforcement. Officers responded to the property soon after. As they approached the home, they observed Glynn inside the residence. The officers backed up and established a perimeter.



Officers made phone contact with Glynn, but he refused to leave the home. He threatened to blow up the house, said he intended to die alone in the home because of the home's significance to P.M., and began breaking windows. Roughly an hour after officers first arrived on the scene, a burning box that officers believed contained shotgun ammunition was tossed out a window of the home. Within minutes, officers observed smoke billowing from the home. Officers apprehended Glynn as he ran from P.M.'s burning home.



Although firefighters managed to put out the blaze, the damage to the home was extensive, and P.M.'s garage partially collapsed. And after the wind fanned the fire to a neighbor's property, the neighbor's garage burned and was a total loss. The physical evidence that remained was too damaged for the fire marshal to determine the cause of the fire.



The State charged Glynn in Boone County-where P.M.'s home was located. Glynn moved to change venue two weeks before the start of trial, claiming an impartial jury could not be seated in Boone County because of pretrial publicity and prejudice. The district court denied the motion and a jury trial commenced in July 2023. Following trial, the jury returned verdicts, finding Glynn guilty of the charges below relevant to this appeal: first-degree arson, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, and third-degree burglary. Glynn appeals.



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State v. Glynn, 23-1646 (Iowa App. Sep 18, 2024)

Affirmed