The Iowa Supreme Court’s 2018-19 term that began Sept. 4 marks the first change in court personnel in nearly a decade, with the retirement of Justice Bruce Zager and the appointment of former District Judge Susan Christensen to take his place. The Court’s 2017-18 term...
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Question to be argued before the Iowa Supreme Court: Games of skill or chance?
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments Friday in Iowa City in a case that could determine whether gaming devices that resemble slot machines could be placed in Iowa businesses other than bars. The Court will hear oral arguments at 10:30 a.m. Friday in Banilla...
Iowa Supreme Court, citing the Iowa Constitution, limits warrantless searches of containers in impounded vehicles
The Iowa Supreme Court added another category of police searches where it invoked the Iowa Constitution to extend broader protection than the U.S. Supreme Court has granted under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. For drivers whose vehicles are impounded...
Divided Iowa Supreme Court keeps county attorney on the job, despite sexual harassment complaints
Van Buren County Attorney Abraham Watkins was removed from office by a District Court judge who ruled that Watkins “engaged in misconduct or maladministration by regularly committing sexual harassment” of female employees. The court record reciting Watkins’ sexually...
Felony-murder rule can be applied to juveniles, Iowa Supreme Court rules
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the felony-murder rule may be applied to juvenile offenders in a decision upholding the sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole for a defendant who was 16 at the time of the crime. Keyon Harrison was found guilty by...
FEATURED POSTS
Iowa Supreme Court sends case on “protectionist” legislation back to trial court with pointed language about legislative logrolling
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in two cases March 22
In a Wapello County case, Iowa Supreme Court parses settlement agreement language on ‘derelict’ vehicles
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in 11 cases Feb. 21 and 22
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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.