The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in eight appeals Wednesday and Thursday. Six other cases will be submitted to the Court this week without oral argument. The arguments will be in the Supreme Court courtroom with the option of participating remotely. Livestreamed videos…
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Iowa Supreme Court: Tort Claims Act governs excessive-force claims under the state Constitution
A plaintiff with a claim under the Iowa Constitution for damages against the State or its employee must follow the procedures prescribed by the Iowa Tort Claims Act, including the Act’s exclusion of punitive damages, the Iowa Supreme Court said in a ruling handed down…
Iowa Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in 10 appeals this week — all by remote video conference
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in 10 cases Tuesday and Wednesday. Four other appeals will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Due to the recent rise in new Covid-19 cases, the justices will hear all December arguments by video conference…
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in five cases Tuesday and Wednesday
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in five cases Tuesday and Wednesday. Six more cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of the cases that will be submitted to the Court this week. Go to On…
Justice Mansfield describes appellate process in new podcast
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Summary of Iowa Supreme Court Cases Argued and Submitted Sept. 9 and 10
The Iowa Supreme Court heard arguments in seven cases on September 9th and 10th. Five other cases were submitted to the Court without oral argument. The following are summaries of those cases.
A statistical review of the 2025-26 Iowa Supreme Court term: “The Incredible Shrinking Judicial Opinion”
The last four Iowa Supreme Court terms—from the 2022-2023 term to the recently concluded 2025-2026 term—have seen a stylistic shift in how the Court articulates its rulings.
Iowa Supreme Court Upholds Immunity in Horse-Drawn Mower Injury Case
The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of a personal injury claim arising from an accident involving a horse-drawn sickle mower in a unanimous decision filed on June 12, 2026. In Shafer v. Santana, the Court held that a farmer operating a horse drawn sickle mower was engaged in the “domesticated animal activity” of driving under Iowa’s Domesticated Animal Activities Act, despite the fact that the horses were briefly stopped when the injury occurred.
July 2026 Iowa Court of Appeals Published Opinions Roundup
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In July, the Court of Appeals selected two opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions.
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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.