Iowa Supreme Court to hear oral argument Sept. 16 in Bettendorf in a case involving a shortage of attorneys available to represent indigent criminal defendants
The Iowa Supreme Court on Sept 16 will hear oral argument in Bettendorf in a case that poses the question of whether a district court can deny a State Public Defender’s effort to withdraw as counsel representing an indigent defendant because the Public Defender’s office is overloaded with cases.
The oral argument wil …
read moreMarch 2025 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in fifteen cases in March 2025.
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Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in nine cases Sept. 9 and 10
The Iowa Supreme Court will kick off its 2025-26 term with oral arguments in nine cases scheduled for Sept. 9 and 10. Four cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of these cases.
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U.S. Supreme Court asked to overturn Iowa Supreme Court drug-sniffing dog decision
An Iowa woman seeking to overturn her drug possession conviction has filed a petition for certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that a police search of her vehicle based on a drug-detection dog’s sniff through an open window violated her Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
read moreA statistical review of the 2024-2025 Iowa Supreme Court term: Continued unpredictability in close cases
The 2024-2025 term of the Iowa Supreme Court was the third term to feature the set of seven justices currently serving on the court. Our review of various statistical measurements shows certain reliable patterns of data as well as the lack of clear patterns in some instances.
read moreIowa Supreme Court addresses standards for achieving service of process upon parties without a permanent residence
In Lucas v. Warhol, the Iowa Supreme Court examined service of process in a matter involving a defendant who might not have been able to get mail due to experiencing homelessness.
read moreAnalyzing pre-answer dismissal of claims following alleged student assault, Iowa Supreme Court affirms in part and reverses in part
In Doe v. Western Dubuque Community School District, parents and their child brought claims for loss of consortium, negligence, and breach of fiduciary duty against staff members and officials for their child’s school district, as well as the district itself.
read moreIowa Court of Appeals interprets court discretion as to criminal sentencing statute
In State v. Cullum, the Iowa Court of Appeals, sitting en banc, reviewed a district court’s decisions to deny a motion to suppress, to deny a motion for a new trial, and to not suspend fines in an appeal sought by a criminal defendant.
read moreIowa Court of Appeals July 2025 Published Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In July, the Court of Appeals selected three opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions.
read moreFebruary 2025 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in ten cases in February 2025.
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U.S. Supreme Court denies Iowa woman’s bid to overturn her drug conviction claiming K9 search violated Fourth Amendment
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order Oct. 6 denying an Iowa woman’s petition for certiorari seeking to overturn her drug possession conviction in Madison County District Court, arguing that a police search of her vehicle based on a drug-detection dog’s sniff through an open window violated her Fourth Amendment protect …
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in eight cases Oct. 7 and 8
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in eight cases Oct. 7 and 8. Four other cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of those cases.
June 2025 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in 10 cases in June 2025. At the links immediately below, you can read On Brief’s analysis of the following opinions.
May 2025 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in 18 cases in May 2025. In addition to the nine cases covered elsewhere on this blog, summaries for the remaining opinions are below.
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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.