A man accused of stealing a purse from a cart at Walmart in June of 2018 has had a request for an appeal from the Iowa Supreme Court rejected. In February of this year, 58-year-old Valentino E. Whitaker of Grand Junction lost his appeal on claims of ineffective assistance of trial counsel, insufficient evidence to support a conviction of third-degree burglary and a challenge to an order for $5,000 in victim restitution. With video surveillance and valid proof that the victim did in fact have $5,000 in her purse, the appeals court judge ruled against an acquittal. The case was then presented to the Iowa Supreme Court, which denied any further review. In February of 2019, Whitaker was found guilty of the charge by a jury and sentenced to two years in prison, which was suspended and he was placed on two years of probation.
