Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals issues a split decision on the legality of Des Moines’ utility fee
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis handed down a read more
Iowa Supreme Court, citing the Iowa Constitution, limits warrantless searches of containers in impounded vehicles
The Iowa Supreme Court added another category of police searches where it invoked the Iowa Constitution to extend broader protection than the U.S. Supreme Court has granted under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
For drivers whose vehicles ar …
Divided Iowa Supreme Court keeps county attorney on the job, despite sexual harassment complaints
Van Buren County Attorney Abraham Watkins was removed from office by a District Court judge who ruled that Watkins “engaged in misconduct or maladministration by regularly committing sexual harassment” of female employees.
The court record reciting Watk …
Felony-murder rule can be applied to juveniles, Iowa Supreme Court rules
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the felony-murder rule may be applied to juvenile offenders in a decision upholding the sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole for a defendant who was 16 at the time of the crime.
Keyon Harrison was found guilty by a Polk County jury of first-degree murder for his role …
Defendant did not violate the Iowa Civil Rights Act for discrimination it was unaware of, Iowa Supreme Court rules
An applicant for a firefighter position is rejected after the employer’s consulting physician concludes the applicant is medically unqualified without disclosing the reason: The applicant had recently had symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Did the employer violate the disability discrimination provision of the Iowa Civ …
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Grant Wood paintings must remain at Coe College, Iowa Supreme Court rules
What is a non-profit institution to do when a gift becomes a burden?
That is more or less the predicament Coe College found itself in when it learned that a collection of Grant Wood paintings given to the Cedar Rapids school decades earlier, and which had grown significantly in value, could not be sold without violating …
Challenge to judicial nominating process to be argued before Iowa Court of Appeals Nov. 6
The Iowa Court of Appeals will hear arguments Nov 6 at 1:30 p.m. in an appeal of the Polk County District Court’s dismissal of a suit challenging the Legislature’s April 2019 amendment changing the nominating process for Iowa appellate court judges.
Cedar Rapids attorney Bob Rush and other Iowa lawyers, legislators …
Nine cases to be argued before Iowa Supreme Court Oct. 21 and 22
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in nine cases Oct. 21 and 22, and four cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of the cases set for argument. Go to On Brief’s Cases in the Pipeline page to read th …
New chief judge elected, and other changes on the Iowa Court of Appeals
The Iowa Court of Appeals is changing with retirements and the arrival of new members.
Judge Thomas Bower of Cedar Falls has been elected chief judge of the appeals court, the Judicial Branch announced Oct. 10. Judge …
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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.