A person challenging involuntary commitment for mental illness does not have a right to self representation in state court proceedings, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a decision handed down Oc. 13.
An Iowa prison inmate, identified as V.H …
ARCHIVE
Question before Iowa Supreme Court: Is it enough to say a cow does not belong on a highway?
A driver whose vehicle collides with a cow wandering on a highway might logically assume the owner of the cow is, by definition, responsible for the driver’s injuries and damage to the vehicle. By that logic, the injured driver shouldn’t have to provide evidence of precisely how the owner failed to prevent the cow’s mea …
Iowa Court of Appeals denies new trial for Cristhian Bahena Rivera
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in eight cases Oct. 10 and 11
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in eight cases Oct. 10 and 11. Five additional cases will be submitted to the Court without oral arguments. Following are brief summaries of the October cases. [Go to On Brief’s “Cases in the Pipeline” page to read the briefs f …
Question before Iowa Supreme Court: Was a defendant free to drive off from a police encounter?
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear an oral argument at the University of Iowa in a case that poses a question with an often-elusive answer under the Fourth Amendment: When does a reasonable person feel free to walk or drive away from a police encounter?
The oral argument in this case is set for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Un …
FEATURED POSTS
Iowa Court of Appeals divided on trial court’s vacatur of arbitration award
A two-judge majority of an Iowa Court of Appeals panel affirmed a Polk County District Court ruling vacating an arbitration award in a case involving financial regulation. The third member of the panel dissented, saying the majority and the trial court erred in substituting their conclusions …
In case to be heard in Bondurant April 2, Iowa Supreme Court is asked: When is a ‘firearm’ not an ‘offensive weapon’?
Is a replica of a 19th century muzzleloader rifle a “firearm” under Iowa law? No, argues a Burlington man convicted of possessing a firearm in violation of state law.
That question is the heart of an appeal to be argued before the Iowa Supreme Court in a special session April 2 in Bondurant. The oral argument, which …
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in seven cases March 20, 21
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in seven cases March 20 and 21. Six other cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Go to On Brief’s “Cases in the Pipeline” page to read briefs filed in these cases. Following are brief summaries of the cases to be argued
January 2024 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in six cases during January 2024. You can read Rox Laird’s analysis of In re Detention of Schuman and Chicoine v. Wellmark, Inc., in separate posts. The remaining opinions from January are summarized below.
EDITORIAL TEAM
ABOUT
On Brief: Iowa’s Appellate Blog is devoted to appellate litigation with a focus on the Iowa Supreme Court, the Iowa Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.