Rox Laird, Author at Nyemaster Goode On Brief

Iowa Supreme Court rules on who can appeal a decision of the Iowa Public Information Board

An attorney seeking public disclosure of law enforcement records related to the fatal shooting of a Burlington woman by a police officer in 2015 has standing to pursue his case in Polk County District Court, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Dec. 30 in read more

County assessor’s list of property owners seeking anonymity may be kept confidential, Iowa Supreme Court rules

by Rox Laird | 12.23

A list of property owners who asked the Polk County Assessor’s Office to remove their names from the search function on the assessor’s website is a public record, but the list is exempt from disclosure under an exception in the Iowa Open Records Act, the Iowa Supreme Court held Dec. 17 in read more

Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in eight appeals Dec. 14 and 15

by Rox Laird | 12.13

The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in eight cases December 14 and 15, and five other cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument.

Go to Iowa Brief’s “Cases in the Pipeline” page to read briefs in these appeals.

Following are summaries of the …

State delays in considering prison inmates for parole must meet constitutional standard, Iowa Supreme Court rules

by Rox Laird | 12.01

Convicted offenders serving indeterminate prison sentences in Iowa do not have a constitutional right to parole, the Iowa Supreme Court has held in the past. But in a decision handed down Nov. 23, Bomgaars, et al., v. State, the Cou …

Appeals court rejects Hearst’s bid for reconsideration of defamation ruling involving Iowa dairy farm

by Rox Laird | 11.23

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Tuesday denied the publisher of Esquire magazine’s request for rehearing of its Sept. 15 panel ruling reversing in part a district court decision dismissing California Congressman Devin Nunes’ defamation suit against the company.

Hearst Magazines Inc., the pub …

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

An evenly divided Supreme Court affirms “fetal heartbeat law” injunction by operation of law, trades barbs on matters of jurisprudence and appellate procedure

In a 3-3 decision, the Iowa Supreme Court affirmed a district court ruling refusing to dissolve a 2019 injunction against enforcement of a law known as the “fetal heartbeat law,” which would prohibit most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. Though the lack of a majority means that no written opinion carries th …

Iowa Supreme Court holds new qualified immunity provision does not apply retrospectively but applies new heightened pleading standard to claims against Polk County by former employee

On January 5, 2021, Jim Nahas was fired by the Polk County Board of Supervisors from his position as the Polk County Human Resources Director. In response, Nahas filed suit against the Board and four of its members, “claiming libel per se, wrongful termination in violation of public policy, extor

…

Iowa Supreme Court rejects challenges to collection of fines generated by traffic cameras

City ordinances in Des Moines and Windsor Heights providing for collection of traffic fines generated by automated traffic enforcement cameras are not unconstitutional government takings, they do not violate due process of law, and they do not amount to illegal property taxes, the Iowa Suprem …

Analyzing DNA voluntarily abandoned in public is not a search under the United States or Iowa Constitution, according to the Iowa Supreme Court

In a 5-2 decision, the Iowa Supreme Court held that police officers’ collection and testing of DNA on a drinking straw abandoned by a suspect in a restaurant did not constitute a search under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution or article I, section 8 of the Iowa Constitution. Two dissenting Justices ex …

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.

ARCHIVE