The Iowa Supreme Court has granted further review of four rulings of the Iowa Court of Appeals. Following are brief summaries of those cases. Go to On Brief’s Cases in the Pipeline page to read the parties’ briefs and appellants’ applications for further review. Denver…
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Changes in members create new alliances on the Iowa Supreme Court
A new majority emerged during the Iowa Supreme Court’s 2018-19 term that ended in June with the retirement of two justices and the appointment of their replacements, according to an On Brief review of the 108 decisions issued by the court during the 10-month term….
Why the Iowa Supreme Court declined to outlaw ‘pretextual’ traffic stops under the Iowa Constitution
On June 28 the Iowa Supreme Court handed down a decision in a case that presented an opportunity to strike down as unconstitutional so-called pretextual traffic stops by law enforcement officers motivated by racial bias. In the end, the deeply divided Court passed on the…
U.S. Supreme Court denies Iowan’s appeal challenging Fourth Amendment exception
The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear an appeal from an Iowa man who argued that his drunk-driving conviction was the product of an unconstitutional search and seizure. The Court on Monday issued a list of cases considered at the justices’ Nov. 30 conference, and…
Iowan seeks to limit a Fourth Amendment exception in appeal to U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday will consider whether it will hear an appeal from an Iowa man who argues his drunk-driving conviction was the product of an unconstitutional search and seizure. The appeal focuses on the reach of what’s known as a “community caretaking”…
FEATURED POSTS
Iowa Supreme Court rules that 2025 Bitcoin ATM refund law does not apply to earlier scams.
In an opinion filed Oct 30, 2026, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed a district court’s order in In the matter of $11,500 Seized from Bitcoin Depot Operating, LLC, which denied a Bitcoin ATM operator’s request to recover $11,500 that had been seized by the police.
Iowa Supreme Court rules that courts may decide whether a religious belief is sincerely held under the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
In its unanimous October 23, 2026, opinion in Perry v. Dordt University, the Iowa Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of a former nursing student’s religious discrimination claim under the Iowa Civil Rights Act (ICRA).
Iowa Supreme Court limits delayed appeals in child welfare cases to termination of parental rights in recent opinion.
Submitted to the Court on September 10 for further review from the Iowa Court of Appeals, the Court filed its unanimous opinion on October 16, affirming the dismissal of a mother’s untimely appeal in In re E.S.
Iowa Supreme Court affirms the admission of video in sexual abuse case over defendant’s claim that it was a “deepfake”
The Court heard oral argument in State v. Amyda on September 9 and issued its opinion on October 9. Justice Mansfield wrote for the Court, which unanimously affirmed Max Amyda’s conviction for third degree sexual abuse.
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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.