A former public employee may bring a claim of being wrongfully fired for performing the assigned duty of releasing government records to the public under the Iowa Open Records Act, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a decision handed down June 2 …
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Iowa Supreme Court splits over causation requirement for a toxic tort claim
In an opinion filed June 23, 2023, the Iowa Supreme Court held a plaintiff suing her employer’s landlord for exposure to toxic chemicals at work did not present sufficient evidence to create a material dispute of fact concerning whether th …
Former employee’s common law negligence claims were preempted by the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Act, the Iowa Supreme Court rules
In 2017, Jena McCoy was hired as a sales representative for Thomas L Cardella & Associates’ call center in Ottumwa, Iowa. She alleged that within her first few weeks on the job, her supervisor, John Thompson, “began sitting next to her in her cubicle, touching her inappropriately and making sexually charged comments …
Iowa Supreme Court deadlocks on constitutional ‘takings’ question in Madison County power line case
Six justices of the Iowa Supreme Court were deadlocked on a constitutional “takings” question in a case involving a plan by MidAmerican Energy to construct a power transmission line along a highway right-of-way that crosses a Madison County resident’s property.
MidAmerican applied for a franchise from the Iowa Util …
An evenly divided Supreme Court affirms “fetal heartbeat law” injunction by operation of law, trades barbs on matters of jurisprudence and appellate procedure
In a 3-3 decision, the Iowa Supreme Court affirmed a district court ruling refusing to dissolve a 2019 injunction against enforcement of a law known as the “fetal heartbeat law,” which would prohibit most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. Though the lack of a majority means that no written opinion carries th …
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Roofing company’s 30-day grace period and 1.5% monthly default charge is not subject to Consumer Credit Code
A roofing contractor who granted its customer a 30-day grace period to pay for a roofing job along with 1.5% a month in interest for tardy payment did not grant credit and is not subject to the Iowa Consumer Credit Code, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a unanimous Jan. 24 decision.
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in five cases Jan. 21
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in five cases Jan. 21, and two cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of those cases.
Iowa Court of Appeals December 2024 Published Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In December, the Court of Appeals selected eight opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions.
City’s requirement that renters admit city inspectors is not unconstitutional, Iowa Supreme Court holds
A northwestern Iowa city’s ordinance that requires landlords and tenants to allow city officials into apartments to inspect for building code violations is not unconstitutional, at least on its face, because the ordinance may be applied in ways that would not offend the Iowa Constitution, the Iowa Supreme Court said in a decision handed down Dec. 20.
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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.