A-22-437, State of Nebraska (Appellee) v. Tyler K. Manka (Appellant)
Hall County District Court, Judge Andrew C. Butler
Attorney for Appellant: Matthew J. McDonald (Commission on Public Advocacy)
Attorney for Appellee: Matthew Lewis (Attorney General’s Office)
Criminal: Jury Trial; Motion to Suppress; Motion to Sever; Sufficiency of the Evidence, Excessive Sentences
Action Taken by Trial Court: The jury convicted Appellant of 10 separate criminal charges related to a shooting which occurred in Grand Island, Nebraska, in July 2021. The district court subsequently sentenced Appellant to a total of 60 to 90 years’ imprisonment. Prior to the trial, the district court overruled Appellant’s motion to suppress evidence and his motion to sever certain counts from others.
Assignments of Error on Appeal: On appeal, Appellant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to support his conviction for first degree assault. He also asserts that the district court erred in failing to sever some of the charges from the others; in admitting evidence that he possessed a controlled substance at the time of the shooting; and in permitting him to wear visible shackles when the jury’s verdict was read in open court. Manka also alleges that the district court imposed excessive sentences.