In December the Iowa Court of Appeals ruled that the Harrison County Board of Supervisors violated the Iowa Open Meetings law.
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Iowa Supreme Court to Decide Whether Internal Whistleblowers are Protected from Termination under Public-Policy Doctrine
By Ryan Koopmans and Ryan Leemkuil
If the Iowa legislature creates an express exception to the employment-at-will doctrine, may the courts carve out an even greater exception un …
Iowa Supreme Court Grants Further Review in Five Cases
By Ryan Koopmans
Today the Iowa Supreme Court granted further review in five cases:
Supreme Court Grants Further Review in Five Cases
By Ryan Koopmans
The Supreme Court announced today that on January 11 it granted further review in five cases:
Iowa Supreme Court Agrees to Consider Three Post-Conviction Relief Cases
By Ryan Koopmans
The Iowa Supreme Court announced today that it has granted further review in three post-conviction relief cases.
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October 2024 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in eight cases in October 2024. In addition to Rox Laird’s analysis of State of Iowa v. William Noble Chaiden Miller and Katherine Avenarius and Paul Avenarius v. State of Iowa summarized on this blog, the remaining opinions from October are summarized below.
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in eight cases Nov. 13-14
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in eight cases Nov. 13 and Nov. 14. Five other cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of the November cases.
Iowa Supreme Court deadlocks on specifics required for liability waivers
When Dubuque police officer Katherine Avenarius accidentally shot herself in the leg while attending an Iowa Law Enforcement Academy firearms instructor school, she sued the academy claiming her injury was the result of an instructor’s advice on how to handle her firearm that contradicted how she had previously been trained. The State, which operates the academy, argued Avenarius signed a “clear and unequivocal” waiver and release of liability.
Iowa Supreme Court upholds minimum prison term for juvenile convicted of murder
The Iowa Supreme Court upheld a 35-year minimum prison sentence for a Fairfield juvenile who pleaded guilty to first degree murder for the death of his high school Spanish teacher. In its unanimous decision, the Court rejected the defendant’s argument that, under the Iowa Constitution, the State must present expert testimony showing a minimum sentence is necessary for a juvenile offender.
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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.