The Iowa Constitution requires that bills enacted by the General Assembly contain a single subject in the title. Although legislators often use vaguely general titles on bills that contain many unrelated provisions, the Iowa Supreme Court has been reluctant to declare the practice unconstitutional: In the 166 years since th …
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases March 22. Two other cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are summaries of those cases. Go to On Brief’s “Cases in the Pipeline” page to read the briefs filed in these cases.
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When Wapello County set out to remove what it considered “derelict” vehicles from a residential property, the owners sued. The suit was dropped after the owners and the County reached a settlement in which the owners agreed to do the removal themselves to the County’s “satisfaction.”
The word “satisfaction” …
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in 11 cases Feb. 21 and Feb 22. Two additional cases will be submitted to the Court without oral arguments. Go to On Brief’s “Cases in the Pipeline” page to read the briefs submitted to the Court in these cases. Following are b …
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear an oral argument in a special evening session Monday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. in the Judicial Branch Building. The evening session is an opportunity for members of the public who might otherwise be unable to attend court sessions to witness an oral argument in person.
The case to be argued – …
When Robert Geddes entered onto the private property of five Boone residents without permission, he violated Iowa’s trespass statute. It became a more serious crime when he taped “Burn that gay flag” messages on the front doors of those residences, which were displaying rainbow flags. That elevated the charge to tresp …
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication within the North Western Reporter. In September 2023, the Court of Appeals selected six opinions for publication, summarized below.
In the nearly six decades since the Voting Rights Act was enacted by Congress, federal judges have assumed private parties could bring suits in federal court to enforce the law that prohibits state or federal election policies that deny the right to vote based on race or color.
That assumption was upended in a Nov. 20 de …
An edited video from a police officer’s body camera leading jurors to conclude a drunk-driving suspect failed a preliminary breath test should not have been allowed into evidence, the Iowa Supreme Court said in a ruling handed down Nov. 17 …
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.
