Iowa Supreme kicks off its 2020-21 term with oral arguments this week
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear its first round of oral arguments of the 2020-21 term Wednesday and Thursday, and the first in person oral arguments heard since March due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Sept. 16 and 17 oral arguments will feature justices, attorneys, court staff, and members of the public observing the …
read moreIowa Supreme Court 2019-20 term review: A year of historic challenges
The Iowa Supreme Court’s 2019-20 term was marked by change and disruption. Change came with the appointment of two new justices and the selection of a new chief justice. Disruption came with the coronavirus outbreak that suspended oral arguments and closed the Judicial Branch Building to the public.
The 102 decisions t …
read moreJudicial Branch launches monthly podcast on Iowa courts
The Iowa Judicial Branch has begun a monthly podcast titled “In the Balance: An Iowa Judicial Branch Podcast,” that will explore how Iowa’s courts function.
“In each monthly episode, we will explore the in’s and out’s of our state-level court system, host interviews with judges and justices, and shine a light …
read moreIowa Supreme Court sides with first-in-time tenant in conflict between pet allergy and emotional support animal
The Iowa Supreme Court held that a tenant with a dog allergy may maintain civil claims for damages against their landlord arising from the landlord’s waiver of their no-pets policy for a neighboring tenant’s emotional support animal. In doing so, the Court emphasized the narrowness of its holding, characterizing its analy …
read moreIowa Supreme Court asked to toss suit seeking to force Iowa to regulate agricultural pollution
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in an appeal challenging a lawsuit filed by citizens and environmental groups claiming State environmental agencies failed to reduce the presence of agricultural pollutants in the Raccoon River.
Iowa CCI and Food & Water Watch filed suit in Polk County District Court in Marc …
read moreFederal court says grand jury may see records of investigation into Iowa State Patrol officer misconduct
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a federal court order denying the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s motion to quash a grand jury subpoena for department records related to an investigation of an Iowa State Patrol officer for misconduct or use of excessive force.
The August 2019 subpoena order …
read moreLocal civil rights ordinances not enforceable in state court, Iowa Supreme Court rules
Municipal ordinances created to protect residents’ civil rights are not enforceable in state court, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled June 30.
The Iowa Civil Rights Act authorizes the state Civil Rights Commission to issue “right to sue” letters to complainants, who are then able to file a civil suit in state district c …
read moreCity is liable for cyclist injured on bike trail, Iowa Supreme Court rules
Iowa Supreme Court adds cases to be heard in 2020-21 term
The Iowa Supreme Court is in the final month of its 2019-20 term before breaking for two months to focus on court administration and rules. Meanwhile, the Court has been adding cases to its 2020-21 term that begins in September with a full complement of seven justices.
Since May 1, the Court has granted further review to …
read moreIowa Supreme Court stands by its ‘continuing storm’ doctrine in slip-and-fall suits
FEATURED POSTS
A statistical review of the 2022-2023 Iowa Supreme Court term
[This article by Matthew A. McGuire, Spencer S. Cady, and Chris E. Slack was originally published in the August 2023 issue of The Iowa Lawyer magazine.]
In our analysis of the 2020- …
U.S. Supreme Court on California’s Proposition 12: Banning imports of pork from ‘cruel’ treatment not unconstitutional – at least for now
Most every state was affected one way or another by decisions handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in its recently ended term. A decision upholding California’s restriction on the sale of certain pork products in the state of California, however, may have an outsize impact on Iowa, which is the No. 1 pork producer and ex …
Iowa Supreme Court rules that Iowa Utilities Board must consider alternatives to a public utility’s plan for managing emissions
In an opinion filed on April 28, 2023, the Iowa Supreme Court in Environmental Law and Policy Center v. Iowa Utilities Board ruled under Iowa Code section 476.6 the Iowa Utilities Board erred in not considering certain intervenors’ evidence when approving MidAmerican Energy’s required biennial plan and budget f …
Work of Iowa Supreme Court continues during summer break between terms
Since the Iowa Supreme Court ended its 2022-23 term June 30 with release of all remaining decisions, the justices have been spending the summer months on court administration matters that could affect the practice of law and operation of Iowa courts for years to come.
Among the items on the Court’s administrative term …
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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.