Rosemary Shaw Sackett, former Chief Judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals, died Sept. 2 in Okoboji. A graveside service is scheduled for Sept. 24 in Spirit Lake.
Sackett was appointed to the Iowa Court of Appeals by Gov. …
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Facebook post was rude and insulting but not libelous, Iowa Court of Appeals rules
An obscenity-laced Facebook post calling an apartment building owner a slumlord may have been vulgar and insulting, but it was not libelous, the Iowa Court of Appeals said in a decision handed down Nov. 30.
Sloan, Iowa, apartment manager Richard Bauer created a stir with his battle against construction of a commercial do …
Iowa Supreme Court adds cases to be heard in 2020-21 term
The Iowa Supreme Court is in the final month of its 2019-20 term before breaking for two months to focus on court administration and rules. Meanwhile, the Court has been adding cases to its 2020-21 term that begins in September with a full complement of seven justices.
Since May 1, the Court has granted further review to …
Iowa Supreme Court denies further review in challenges to changes in judicial nominating process
Legal challenges to the Iowa Legislature’s 2019 changes in the nominating process for Iowa appellate judges have reached the end of the road. The Iowa Supreme Court on May 15 denied applications for further review of two Iowa Court of Appeals rulings dismissing the challenges by lawyers and state legislators.
Cedar Rap …
A pro se trip through three Iowa courts winds up at a dead end
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Iowa Supreme Court partially affirms trial court in mixed Cedar Rapids public records decision
Cedar Rapids resident Robert Teig asked Cedar Rapids city officials for records related to the hiring of a new city clerk and city attorney. When they mostly denied Teig’s requests, he filed suit naming six Cedar Rapids officials as defendants, which the Linn County District Court dismissed on summary judgment.
Teig ma …
Iowa Supreme Court sends ‘stand your ground’ case back for new trial
Lasondra Johnson was tried for first-degree murder for the shooting death of Jada Young-Mills outside a Waterloo residence. Johnson argued she acted in self defense and the shooting was justified under Iowa’s “stand your ground” law that says a person is justified in the use of reasonable force in the belief that such …
State statute requiring a signature under oath means what it says, Iowa Supreme Court holds
The Iowa Code requires that a plaintiff who brings medical malpractice claims in state court serve the defendant with an affidavit signed by an expert witness regarding the merits of the claim that the medical provider was negligent. The statute requires that the affidavit be signed under oath obligating the witness to be t …
Two assistant attorneys general subpoenaed, but only one must testify, Iowa Supreme Court holds
Two assistant Iowa attorneys general subpoenaed to testify by deposition in an employment suit against the State appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court after the trial court denied their motion to quash the subpoenas. The Supreme Court held that while one of the attorneys is shielded from testifying, the other is not.
Depart …
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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.