Iowa Supreme Court: Lawsuit challenging governor’s judicial appointment presents a “political question,” not a question for the courts
In State of Iowa ex rel. Dickey v. Besler, an opinion issued in February 2021, the Iowa Supreme Court was confronted with a lawsuit by a private citizen challenging the appointment of and Iowa District Court judge as invalid under state law. The Supreme Court held that a private citizen does possess standing to bri …
read moreDavenport mayor may remove Civil Rights Commissioner without cause, Iowa Supreme Court rules
Nicole Bribriesco-Ledger was appointed to serve a regular two-year term on the Davenport Civil Rights Commission beginning on December 1, 2017. On April 15, 2019, the Mayor of Davenport, Frank Klipsch, removed removed Bribriesco-Ledger and three other commissioners via letter. Klipsch appointed four new commissioners on Apr …
read moreIowa Supreme Court expected to release opinions in three cases Wednesday
Opinions in three cases are expected to be released by the Iowa Supreme Court Wednesday, June 30, the final day of the 2020-21 term. Following are On Brief’s previously published summaries of those three cases.
Godfrey v. State of Iowa, Terry Branstad, in his official capacity as Governor, and Bre …
read moreIowa Supreme Court: Cities may delay, not ban, criminal background checks on job applicants
Iowa Supreme Court expected to release opinions in seven cases Friday
Opinions in seven cases are expected to be released by the Iowa Supreme Court Friday, June 18. Go to On Brief’s Cases in the Pipeline page and click on the “Cases Argued” tab to see which cases that were argued this term remain to be decided this term, which ends June 30.
Following are On Brief’s previously publi …
read moreU.S. Supreme Court sends Dubuque police search case back to the Eighth Circuit
The U.S. Supreme Court remanded a case involving a warrantless search by Dubuque police to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals for further consideration in light of a May 17 Supreme Court decision that narrowed the scope of a precedent on which the appeals court relied.
The Eighth Circuit held in read more
Iowa Supreme Court expected to release opinions in three cases Friday
Opinions in three cases are expected to be released by the Iowa Supreme Court Friday, June 11. With those three cases decided, 17 cases argued in the 2020-21 term remain to be decided. Go to On Brief’s Cases in the Pipeline page and click on the “Cases Argued” tab to see which cases that were argued this term rema … read more
Iowa Supreme Court adopts a position on suspects’ right to counsel that earlier fell short of a majority
Five years ago, a deeply divided Iowa Supreme Court issued a decision on the question of whether a drunken driving suspect was entitled under State statute or the Iowa Constitution to speak privately to an attorney by phone before deciding whether to consent to a blood-alcohol test.
A plurality opinion for three of the s …
read moreIowa Supreme Court expected to release opinions in four cases Friday — 20 cases remain to be decided this term
Opinions in four cases are expected to be released by the Iowa Supreme Court Friday, June 4.
With those four cases decided, 20 cases that were argued in the 2020-21 term remain to be decided. Go to On Brief’s Cases in the Pipeline page and click on the “Cases Argued” tab to see which cases that were argued this ter …
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Iowa Supreme Court expected to release opinions in three cases Friday
Opinions in three cases are expected to be released by the Iowa Supreme Court Friday, May 28. Following are On Brief’s previously published summaries of two of those cases. Go to On Brief’s Cases in the Pipeline page to read briefs filed with the Court in thes …
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DOT’s delay in traffic stop violated trucker’s 4th Amendment rights, Iowa Supreme Court holds
There is no time limit on law-enforcement traffic stops before the line is crossed into a Fourth Amendment violation, the Iowa Supreme Court said in a Dec. 8 decision, and courts must thoroughly examine the record to determine where to draw that line in each case.
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in 8 cases Dec. 13 and 14
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in eight cases Dec. 13 and 14. Three 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 December cases.
Iowa Court of Appeals December 2023 Published Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication within the North Western Reporter. On December 1, 2023, the Court of Appeals selected three opinions for publication, summarized below.
Iowa Supreme Court: ‘Scurrilous’ notes taped to doors of residents displaying rainbow flags amounted to hate crime
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 …
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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.