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 …
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Right to a jury does not apply to Consumer Fraud Act claims brought by the Attorney General, Iowa Supreme Court rules
Because Iowa’s Consumer Fraud Act is enforced through civil proceedings aimed at making victims whole and preventing future fraudulent actions rather than punishment, defendants accused of violating the Act are not entitled to a trial by jury, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a decision handed down May 26.
The State brou …
Municipal water utility not protected from strict liability for main breaks, Iowa Supreme Court rules
With sex-affirming surgery case declared moot by Iowa Supreme Court, resolution of constitutional questions awaits a future case
Iowa Supreme Court holds Black defendant not harmed by juror strike, but three justices object to a race-related reference in juror questioning
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Federal appeals court to hear arguments Sept. 20 on Iowa law barring undercover access to livestock facilities
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit will hear oral arguments in St. Louis Sept. 20 in two appeals brought by the State of Iowa defending statutes that make it illegal to trespass or to lie on a job application to gain entry with the intent of using cameras or electronic surveillance to publicly expose animal cr …
Iowa Supreme Court to hear a case in Waverly involving a search prompted by a drug-detection dog
Did a law-enforcement officer step across a constitutional line when he touched the cab of a semi-tractor, seeming to direct a drug-detection dog where to sniff for the presence of potentially illegal drugs?
That is the question before the Iowa Supreme Court that will be argued Sept. 19 at Waverly-Shell Rock High School. …
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in six cases Sept. 13-14
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in six cases Sept. 13 and 14 at the Judicial Branch Building in Des Moines. Eight additional cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of the September cases. Go to On Brief’s “Cases in …
Iowa Supreme Court’s 2023-24 term begins with oral arguments Sep. 13-14
The Iowa Supreme Court is set to begin its 2023-24 term with oral arguments Sept. 13 and 14 in Des Moines. The justices will travel to the Waverly-Shellrock High School for an evening oral argument on Sept. 19 and to the University of Iowa Law School on Sept. 29. The Court will also go on the road in October, February, and …
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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.