Iowa law requires that criminal defendants who invoke a “stand your ground” defense must have informed law-enforcement authorities of the use of deadly force. That requirement, on its face, may or may not violate a defendant’s constitutional rights, but a defendant’s Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination …
A person who claims ownership of property seized by the State should not have to choose between invoking constitutional rights or forfeiting the property, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled May 25 (In the Matter of Property Seized From Jean Carlos Herrera and Ferndando Rodgriguez).
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In Brodie, et al. v. Foxhoven, et al., the Iowa Supreme Court affirmed the Iowa District Court for Mills County’s decision to grant summary judgment in favor of defendant Glenwood Resource Center (GRC) in a lawsuit filed by former employees claiming wrongful discharge in violation of public policy.
Owners of farmland whose surface water flows naturally onto neighboring properties have no control over how the downstream neighbors manage the water once it arrives on their land, provided the neighbors do no harm to upstream land owners, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a June 6 ruling.
A prosecutor cannot be monetarily sanctioned for misconduct in a criminal case, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a unanimous decision in response to what the Court said appeared to be an unprecedented sanction ordered by a district court. The decision in Christensen v. Iowa District Court for Story County was handed down May 30.
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In April, the Court of Appeals selected six opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions.
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.
