UPDATES & ANALYSIS

As Iowa Supreme Court heads into last month of its term, 28 decisions are still in the pipeline

by Rox Laird | May 31, 2018

The Iowa Supreme Court is expected to release decisions in five cases Friday, which will bring to 82 the number of cases disposed of so far in the 2017-18 term.

The Court heard its final round of oral arguments on April 10, and all cases have now been submitted. With the release of Friday’s decisions, 23 submitted cases will remain to be decided between now and the end of the term in one month.

At that point, the Court will have disposed of 105 cases, including nine attorney-discipline cases, which is about normal for the Court, which typically decides about 105 cases each year.

One of the five cases expected to be handed down Friday is Bandstra v. Covenant Reformed Church, on whether church elders failed to adequately supervise a male pastor accused of sexually exploiting female congregants, or whether the church is shielded by the religious-freedom clauses of the U.S. and Iowa constitutions.

Among the cases of note that remain in the pipeline:

Honomichl v. Valley View Swine, on whether an Iowa statute that gives livestock operations limited immunity from nuisance liability violates the inalienable rights clause of the Iowa Constitution, and Planned Parenthood v. Kimberly Reynolds, on the constitutionality of Iowa’s statutory abortion restrictions.

Tags: Constitutional Law, Iowa Constitution, Iowa Supreme Court, Iowa Supreme Court 2017-18