State of Iowa v. Michael Glen Fisher

── State of Iowa v. Michael Glen Fisher ── Court: Court of Appeals of Iowa Date: May 13, 2026 Category: General IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF IOWA _______________ No. 25-0707 Filed May 13, 2026 _______________ State of Iowa, Plaintiff–Appellee, v. Michael Glen Fisher, Defendant–Appellant. _______________ Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Monroe County, The Honorable Elisabeth Reynoldson, Judge. _______________ AFFIRMED _______________ Debra S. De Jong, Orange City, attorney for appellant. Brenna Bird, Attorney General, and Adam Kenworthy, Assistant Attorney General, attorneys for appellee. _______________ Considered without oral argument by Greer, P.J., and Schumacher and Chicchelly, JJ. Opinion by Chicchelly, J. 1 CHICCHELLY, Judge. Michael Fisher appeals his convictions and sentences for four counts of assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. He argues there was insufficient evidence that he (1) displayed a firearm in a threatening manner and (2) that he was not acting with justification. Fisher also argues the district court abused its discretion by declining to suspend his sentences in favor of probation and imposing consecutive sentences. Upon our review, we affirm Fisher’s convictions and sentences. BACKGROUND FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS It was homecoming week in Albia, Iowa in October 2024. As part of the homecoming festivities, four boys planned on TP-ing1 several homes in the area. And the boys sought the permission from the homeowners of the houses they intended to TP. The night was going to end by TP-ing one of the boys’ own homes. Around nine o’clock in the evening, the boys arrived at the final home. The boys parked in front of Fisher’s home. Fisher was inside watching television with his sister. The boys collected toilet paper rolls from the trunk and backseat of their car and began to walk toward the home they were going to TP. As they crossed the street, the boys heard a shout to “Get the fuck over here now.” The yelling came from Fisher’s yard where he stood with a handgun in his hand. Hearing multiple yells, the boys turned and walked towards Fisher’s yard. Once the boys were in his yard, Fisher, still armed with a handgun told them, “You’re not fucking going anywhere. Stay right here. You can’t 1 This terms refers to the act of “toilet papering”: throwing rolls of toilet paper over a person’s house. 2 leave.” One of the boys pleaded with Fisher that they had done nothing wrong. In response, Fisher pointed the gun at the boy and ordered him to stand in a specific spot. Fisher then told the boys he was going inside to call the police and if they tried to leave, “this thing will get you,” referring to his gun. One of the boys’ mothers came to the scene seeing her son was at Fisher’s yard for some time. When she arrived, Fisher’s gun was inside the house. She told Fisher the whole situation was a misunderstanding and asked if the boys could leave. Fisher declined and said everyone needed to wait for the police. Police arrived on the scene and Fisher told them he thought the boys were going to “launch something” at an elderly neighbor’s home. Fisher did not initially tell police he had a firearm at the time of the incident. One of the boys told a police officer about the gun, and Fisher eventually admitted having a gun. The State filed a trial information charging Fisher with twelve total counts, including four counts of going armed with intent in violation of Iowa Code section 708.8 (2024), four counts of assault while displaying a