December 2025 Iowa Court of Appeals published opinion roundup
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In December, the Court of Appeals selected three opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions. Stephen Dierickx v. DreamDirt Farms and Ranch Real Estate LLC dba DreamDirt Auctions,…
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State Auditor may use in-house counsel in appeal on access to Davenport city records
The Iowa State Auditor is a constitutional officer elected by the voters of Iowa to conduct audits of State and local government agencies. The Iowa Attorney General is a constitutional officer elected by the voters of Iowa to provide legal representation to State officers, including the Auditor. What happens when these two independently elected constitutional officers disagree on a legal question?
read moreLawsuit by victims of Davenport apartment collapse not barred by Iowa qualified immunity statute, Iowa Supreme Court holds
Iowa’s statute that provides qualified immunity for municipal employees does not apply to common law negligence claims against the City of Davenport and city employees by families of residents who died in the 2023 collapse of an apartment building and other residents who were injured…
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Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in 10 cases Nov. 12 and 13
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in 10 cases Nov. 12 and 13. One other case will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of those cases.
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Iowa Supreme Court to hear oral argument in Jefferson Nov. 4 on landlord-tenant dispute
Although renters may not want landlords entering their homes without good reason, landlords are allowed by law to reasonably enter rental properties for such things as making repairs and showing apartments to prospective renters. The question is when do reasonable entries become unreasonable? For Alex…
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Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments on whether a suit against TikTok can be heard in Iowa
Does the Polk District Court have jurisdiction to hear the State’s lawsuit against the TikTok social media platform claiming the company violates Iowa’s Consumer Fraud Act by misrepresenting the nature of content accessible to underage users? That is the question in State of Iowa v….
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A video of a video could be used as evidence in criminal trial, Iowa Supreme Court holds
A video of a video may be introduced as evidence in a criminal trial provided there is proper foundation that the evidence is what it is said to be, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a decision handed down Oct. 3.
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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…
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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.
read moreJune 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.
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Iowa Supreme Court affirms woman’s conviction for making terrorism threats
A Guthrie County woman made statements to her son that he interpreted as serious threats of violence against a Department of Health and Human Services child protective worker and a judge six days ahead of a hearing regarding the Department’s removal of her minor children from her care. His concerns were reported to law enforcement, and she was subsequently convicted on one count of threat of terrorism under Iowa Code Chapter 708A.
January 2026 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in ten cases in January 2026. On Brief has analyzed three opinions in separate posts. The remaining opinions from January are summarized below.
December 2025 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in eight cases in December 2025.
Enhanced penalty counts for sales of alcohol to two minors five minutes apart, Iowa Supreme Court holds
The penalty for violating Iowa’s law that bars the sale of alcohol to a person under the age of 21 is $500. The penalty for a second violation is $1,500 and a 30-day license suspension if it occurs within two years of the first. That is the law even if the second violation occurs within minutes of the first, a divided Iowa Supreme Court held in a Feb. 20 decision.
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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.