Pamela and Jeremy Plowmans’ appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court presented hard questions about the rights of parents to be informed about abnormalities of an unborn child that may lead them to choose an abortion. The Court, carefully picking through this moral minefield, issued a…
By Ryan Koopmans Chief Justice Mark Cady will be on Iowa Press tonight at 7:30. The interview, which airs on Iowa Public Television, will be replayed at 8:30 Saturday morning and noon on Sunday.
By Ryan Koopmans This morning Chief Justice Cady will give the annual State of the Judiciary speech. It’s being broadcast live on the Judiciary Branch website. Here’s a sneak peek from the Court’s press release: The chief justice will discuss the important role courts have…
By Ryan Koopmans Tomorrow, Chief Justice Cady will testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the topic of cameras in the courtroom. The Iowa Supreme Court began streaming its oral arguments online in August of this year and has allowed video coverage since 1979. Some…
In a divided 5–2 decision issued on March 27, 2026, the Iowa Supreme Court held that the search of a visitor’s backpack found on the premises during the execution of a search warrant did not violate the visitor’s rights under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution or article I, section 8 of the Iowa Constitution.
After more than a decade of service to On Brief, we are announcing that Rox Laird is stepping away from his role as a contributor to the blog. Throughout his tenure, Rox has authored nearly 500 posts covering the Iowa Supreme Court, the Iowa Court…
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In May, the Court of Appeals selected two opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions.
The developer of a wind energy project planned in Worth County did not have a “vested right” to continue with the project after the Worth County Board of Supervisors enacted an ordinance the developer claimed doomed the project, a divided Iowa Supreme Court held in an April 24 decision.
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.
