A 41-year-old Carroll man, convicted in April 2014 on six counts of third-degree sexual abuse, will be remaining behind bars. According to documents filed Wednesday by the Iowa Court of Appeals, a decision to deny Steve Thomas Schneider’s request for post-conviction relief by the District Court for Carroll County will stand. The initial application for relief was filed on Dec. 29, 2015, with Schneider claiming he received ineffective assistance from his legal counsel. He states his attorneys did not depose his accuser or the child’s mother, object to the amendment of trial information or request a continuance, and that this negated an alibi defense. Schneider had said he was in the Army and overseas during a portion of the time period for the reported abuse. To be successful on these grounds, the applicant must prove counsel failed to perform essential duties and prejudice resulted that denied the defendant a fair trial. Schneider’s defense attorneys told the court they had police reports and videotaped interviews with the accuser and her mother that were all consistent with the testimony made. They also discussed their strategy at length with Schneider, saying they had enough information to prepare for cross examination and did not want to tip their hand and telegraph the defense strategy. Schneider was originally found guilty by a jury on the six counts for engaging in sex acts with a niece from November 2006 to September of 2009. He is serving sentences not to exceed 10 years on each count, with the first four counts running consecutively and the other two running concurrently for a total of up to 40 years in prison.
