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 rev …
ARCHIVE
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.
read more
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 Cou …
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 conferen …
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 “commu …
FEATURED POSTS
Property owners’ right to control drainage ends at property’s edge, Iowa Supreme Court holds
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.
Prosecutor cannot be assessed a monetary penalty for misconduct, Iowa Supreme Court holds
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.
Iowa Court of Appeals April 2025 Published Opinion Roundup
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.
Bitcoin ATM operator entitled to return of money seized by law enforcement, Iowa Supreme Court holds
Two Iowans who deposited cash into bitcoin automated teller machines, as they say they were instructed to do by scammers, will not receive their money back as a result of two Iowa Supreme Court rulings saying the owner of the ATM had the better argument that it was legally entitled to the cash seized by Linn County authorit …
EDITORIAL TEAM
ABOUT
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.