Definition of ‘confidential’ government records broadened by U.S. Supreme Court in South Dakota decision
A Sioux Falls, S.D., newspaper’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court on its federal Freedom of Information Act request for grocery stores’ food stamp records resulted in a reversal for the newspaper and for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. And businesses now will have a strong …
read moreApplications now open to replace Chief Judge Vogel
The State Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications through July 22 for a vacancy on the Iowa Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court has read more
Iowa Supreme Court nears the end of its 2018-19 term with seven decisions remaining in the pipeline
The Iowa Supreme Court released rulings in five cases today, which by On Brief’s count will leave seven cases to be decided before the 2018-19 term is scheduled to end June 28. In July, the Court begins a two month term devoted to court rules and administrative matters.
Iowa Supreme Court sets new standard in employment discrimination cases
The Iowa Supreme Court on June 7 reversed a $4.5 million jury verdict in an employment discrimination suit, and sent the case back for retrial with a new standard to be used in jury instructions that could give the defendant a new defense.
Gregory Hawkins, …
read more“Mail” now means “email” under the Administrative Procedure Act, Iowa Supreme Court rules
When the Iowa Legislature enacted the Administrative Procedure Act in 1975, the statute required petitioners to notify the other parties by mail. That meant sending a paper copy of the petition through the mail within 10 days, or delivery in person under a 1981 amendment.
Iowa Supreme Court: Cuts in public-sector collective bargaining rights meet constitutional muster
Amendments to Iowa Code Chapter 20 that substantially reduced the collective bargaining rights of most state and local government employees did not violate union members’ equal protection or free association rights under the Iowa Constitution, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled May 19.
Iowa Supreme Court affirms Carroll Airport’s decision affecting a towering grain elevator in its flight path
The Carroll Airport Commission ordered a farmer to remove a 12-story grain elevator erected near its runway because it presents a flight hazard. The Federal Aviation Administration, however, issued a contrary opinion saying the elevator could remain.
The Io …
read moreIowa Supreme Court upholds Utilities Board rule that eases regulation of wind farms
Is a wind farm with 170 windmills spread over 80 square miles a single power plant or a collection of separate power plants?
According to the Iowa Utilities Board, it is the latter, and the Iowa Supreme Court deferred to that statutory interpretation in a d …
read moreTwo judges appointed to Iowa Court of Appeals by Governor Reynolds
Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed Marshalltown attorney Sharon Soorholtz Greer and Polk County District Judge David May to the Iowa Court of Appeals May 29.
They replace former Chief Judge David Danilson, who retired in January, and Judge Christopher McDonald, …
read moreEighth Circuit case on food-stamp records to be argued at U.S. Supreme Court April 22
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Monday in a case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit that likely will decide whether a Sioux Falls, S.D., newspaper should have access to food-stamp spending at specific retail stores.
Cons …
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Divided Iowa Supreme Court affirms trial court on license plate obscured by trailer hitch ball
A Polk County District judge denied a defendant’s motion to suppress evidence from a traffic stop initiated by a police officer who could not make out one letter on the vehicle’s license plate because it was partially blocked by a trailer hitch ball.
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in nine cases Nov. 16 and 17
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in nine cases Nov. 16 and 17. Three other cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are short summaries of the November cases. Go to On Brief’s Cases in the Pipeline page to read the briefs in these case …
Iowa Supreme Court leaves rules in place for appealing guilty pleas
When a criminal defendant pleads guilty to a crime, it produces the same result as a criminal conviction at trial. So courts have created procedural requirements designed to ensure that any plea is legally and constitutionally valid before it is accepted.
One requirement is that there must be a factual basis for the crim …
A statistical review of the 2021-2022 Iowa Supreme Court term: while polarization recedes, disagreement persists
[This article by Matthew A. McGuire and Spencer S. Cady was originally published in the August 2022 issue of The Iowa Lawyer magazine. The 2021-2022 term statistics were compiled by Chris Slack.]
The 2021-2022 term of the Iowa Supreme Court concluded o …
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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.