Appeals court upholds murder conviction of Tajh Ross

CEDAR RAPIDS - The first-degree murder conviction of Tajh Ross, who shot and killed 19-year-old Latasha Roundtree in 2012, was upheld Wednesday by the Iowa Court of Appeals.

Ross, 22, appealed his life sentence, claiming the court violated his rights by not allowing him to represent himself and there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction because he proved the shooting was in self-defense.

The court agreed with a district judge's ruling that Ross didn't understand the legal proceedings or what he was required to do at trial to represent himself.

Ross during that hearing refused to cooperate with 6th Judicial District Chief Judge Patrick Grady and even told the judge 'I object” at one point. Ross wrote many letters to the court claiming his innocence and during the hearing was citing something from the Uniform Commercial Code, which concerns commercial law.

Grady told Ross the code had nothing to do with the charges he faced or a criminal trial. Grady attempted to explain that Ross would have to answer his questions so he could determine if Ross was able and competent to represent himself at trial. Ross wouldn't answer his questions and Grady didn't allow his lawyer to withdraw from the case. Ross ended up two public defenders who represented at the bench trial.

On his other claim, the court ruled Ross wasn't in imminent danger and can't claim he was defending himself when he fired multiple times at the car Latasha Roundtree was a passenger in on Sept. 22, 2012. Roundtree, the driver and a backseat passenger had no weapons and displayed no threatening behavior.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Robert Sosalla in his verdict said Ross made a series of deliberate acts that day when he crossed the street, pointed a gun at the car and then fired it.

Ross was convicted in 2014 for first-degree murder, going armed with intent and intimidation with a dangerous weapon in August 2014 following a bench or non-jury trial.

Trial testimony showed Roundtree and her friends were headed to a party where Ross was also that night. Roundtree wasn't targeted that night but Ross admitted during the trial to shooting at the car. According to evidence, Ross was the only one with the .40 caliber weapon that night and that gun, recovered at the scene, was the murder weapon.

The other defendants in this case pleaded guilty to lesser charges and three were sentenced to prison time and two received probation.