Legislation enacted by the Iowa General Assembly that prohibits defendants who are represented by legal counsel from filing appellate briefs on their own behalf does not violate the Iowa Constitution’s separation of legislative and judicial powers, the Iowa Supreme Court has narrowly held. In a…
The Iowa Court of Appeals will hear arguments Nov 6 at 1:30 p.m. in an appeal of the Polk County District Court’s dismissal of a suit challenging the Legislature’s April 2019 amendment changing the nominating process for Iowa appellate court judges. Cedar Rapids attorney Bob Rush…
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….
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…
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
