You can do serious time in federal prison for selling black rhinoceros horns, even if the horns were originally purchased before such sales were made illegal.
That is the conclusion …
Doing time for a ‘serious offense against the planet’
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Split Eighth Circuit panel affirms the DeCoster’s prison sentence
Get back in here! U.S. Supreme Court rejects Eighth Circuit’s “no recalling a jury” rule.
By Ryan Leemkuil
This blog has previously covered the long-running dispute between former Iowa law school dean Carolyn Jones and Teresa Wagner, a former law school employee who claims she was passed over for a job due to political bias. Most rece …
ISU asks Eighth Circuit to stop marijuana advocates from using the university’s logo
Iowa State University students advocating marijuana law reform won a First Amendment victory against the university in federal court in Des Moines in January. Now ISU wants to put that victory on hold while the university’s appeal is considered by the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. …
Eighth Circuit to decide whether company executives can be jailed under a “responsible corporate officer” theory
National business groups are keeping a nervous eye on two Iowa egg company executives’ appeal to be heard Thursday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St Paul.
A federal trial judge in Sioux City last April sentenced the top two execut …
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Iowa Court of Appeals outlines analysis for parental rights’ termination and reunification extension
Minor child B.W. was exposed to drug use from the day he was born, testing positive for cocaine and initiating intervention by the Iowa District Court for Polk County. In an effort to foster harmony and a healthy living environment for the child, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services attempted to assist the family …
March 2024 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in ten cases during March 2024. These opinions are summarized below.
Iowa Supreme Court partially affirms trial court in mixed Cedar Rapids public records decision
Cedar Rapids resident Robert Teig asked Cedar Rapids city officials for records related to the hiring of a new city clerk and city attorney. When they mostly denied Teig’s requests, he filed suit naming six Cedar Rapids officials as defendants, which the Linn County District Court dismissed on summary judgment.
Teig ma …
Iowa Supreme Court sends ‘stand your ground’ case back for new trial
Lasondra Johnson was tried for first-degree murder for the shooting death of Jada Young-Mills outside a Waterloo residence. Johnson argued she acted in self defense and the shooting was justified under Iowa’s “stand your ground” law that says a person is justified in the use of reasonable force in the belief that such …
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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.