[This article by Matthew A. McGuire, Spencer S. Cady, and Chris E. Slack was originally published in the August 2023 issue of The Iowa Lawyer magazine.] In our analysis of the 2020-2021 Iowa Supreme Court term, published in the August 2021 issue of the Iowa…
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Iowa Supreme Court rules that Iowa Utilities Board must consider alternatives to a public utility’s plan for managing emissions
In an opinion filed on April 28, 2023, the Iowa Supreme Court in Environmental Law and Policy Center v. Iowa Utilities Board ruled under Iowa Code section 476.6 the Iowa Utilities Board erred in not considering certain intervenors’ evidence when approving MidAmerican Energy’s required biennial…
Iowa Code section 20.32 does not extend broader bargaining rights to nontransit employees, Iowa Supreme Court rules
In an opinion filed February 24, 2023, the Iowa Supreme Court in City of Ames v. Iowa Public Employment Relations Board ruled Iowa Code section 20.32 does not extend broader bargaining rights to nontransit employees in a bargaining unit made up of 30 percent or…
Iowa Supreme Court holds subpoenas served on a non-party should have been quashed for imposing an undue burden
In an opinion filed on February 10, 2023, the Iowa Supreme Court in In the Matter of the Subpoenas Issued to Dethmers Manufacturing Company held subpoenas relating to a Louisiana products liability suit but issued from an Iowa court to a nonparty in Iowa imposed…
Does Iowa’s constitution require a tougher standard for removing minority jurors? Iowa Supreme Court says no
The Iowa Supreme Court declined to take up an appellant’s suggestion that the Court apply a more rigorous standard for deciding whether the removal of the only minority-group member from a pool of potential jurors may violate the Iowa Constitution. Davina Valdez, a Black teacher’s…
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Iowa Supreme Court rules that 2025 Bitcoin ATM refund law does not apply to earlier scams.
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.
Iowa Supreme Court rules that courts may decide whether a religious belief is sincerely held under the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
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).
Iowa Supreme Court limits delayed appeals in child welfare cases to termination of parental rights in recent opinion.
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.
Iowa Supreme Court affirms the admission of video in sexual abuse case over defendant’s claim that it was a “deepfake”
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.
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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.