Andrew J. Dunn

Attorney Andrew J. Dunn has been practicing criminal law and appellate law for more than 20 years. Mr. Dunn’s trial work has included many complex cases, including first-degree murder cases, and has led him to argue before the Iowa Court of Appeals, the Iowa Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Andy has recently left the law firm and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Divinity fulltime. When his children were young, when his children were young, he volunteered coaching a variety of youth sports, and volunteered in the Linn-Mar Community Schools. He was the chairperson of Linn County Board #11 of the Iowa Citizen Foster Care Review Board. He has served as a small group leader for Confirmation classes at Hope Lutheran Church in Des Moines, Iowa. His family also takes in foster dogs until they can find a home.

Representative Cases

State v. Huser, 894 N.W.2d 472 (Iowa 2017). For the second time, Mr. Parrish and Mr. Dunn obtained a new trial for Vernon Huser on his charges of First Degree Murder. This time, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed Mr. Huser’s conviction because the district court wrongfully prevented Mr. Parrish and Mr. Dunn from presenting evidence to the jury that Mr. Huser was not involved with the murder. This win came six years after Mr. Parrish and Mr. Dunn won a reversal of Mr. Huser’s first trial because the State had presented improper evidence to the jury.
State v. Adams, 810 N.W.2d 365 (Iowa 2012). Iowa Supreme Court vacated homicide by vehicle conviction, holding that an issue existed regarding whether a causation defense was properly considered given that a rational fact finder could have found that defendant’s alleged intoxicated driving was not the factual cause of the victim’s death because a driver who had not ingested alcohol before the crash would have struck the victim.
State v. Huser, 810 N.W.2d 24 (Iowa Ct. App. 2011). Murder conviction reversed on grounds that inadmissible testimony was presented to the jury.
State v. Paulsen, 807 N.W.2d 157 (Iowa Ct. App. 2011). Sexual abuse conviction reversed on grounds that trial counsel failed to raise necessary objections at trial and allowed impermissible opinion evidence.
United States v. Johnson, 968 F.2d 768 (8th Cir. 1992). Client’s conviction to distribute methamphetamine was reversed because prosecutor’s closing remarks were unduly inflammatory and improper.
State v. Werts, 677 N.W.2d 734 (2004). Client’s 1st degree murder conviction was reversed by the Iowa Supreme Court due to improper impeachment and prosecutorial misconduct.
State v. Gay, 2001 Iowa App. LEXIS 525. Client was convicted of 1st degree robbery and assault, which was reversed because during trial, the client’s right to confront witnesses was violated.