A case with a long procedural history in administrative and constitutional law that might have resolved the question of Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming surgery ended quietly May 12 when the Iowa Supreme Court declared the case moot. The matter was decided for the patients seeking…
A prosecutor did not discriminate against a Black criminal defendant by striking a Black member of the jury pool, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a decision handed down April 21, but three members of the Court in a separate opinion expressed concerns regarding a…
In an opinion filed May 5, 2023 in Burnett v. Smith and State of Iowa the Iowa Supreme Court overruled its 2017 opinion in Godfrey v. State, which recognized a private right of action for damages against State officials for violations of the Iowa Constitution. In…
The Iowa State Auditor is empowered by the Iowa Code to audit agencies of the state government and certain governmental subdivisions of the State, including cities and counties. Meanwhile, local governments are authorized by the Iowa Code to form collaborative entities. Does that mean the…
A former principal of St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Des Moines will not get a new trial in her unsuccessful civil action against the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, St. Joseph’s Church, and the pastor who supervised her, for fraud and defamation by all defendants,…
The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed dismissal of a human trafficking charge and clarified that, under the 2024 statute, a defendant cannot commit human trafficking by attempting to buy sex from a victim who does not exist.
In a 5–2 decision filed on June 12, 2026, the Iowa Supreme Court in State v. Gibbs upheld a mother’s three child endangerment convictions under Iowa Code section 726.6(1)(a). Chief Justice Christensen wrote the majority opinion, joined by Justices McDonald, Oxley, McDermott, and May. Justice Mansfield filed a partial dissent, joined by Justice Waterman, concurring as to two convictions but dissenting as to the third.
In a unanimous decision filed on May 22, 2026, the Iowa Supreme Court in State v. Hall held that a defendant need not be the person who initiated an encounter to commit harassment.
In a divided 5–2 decision issued on March 27, 2026, the Iowa Supreme Court held that the search of a visitor’s backpack found on the premises during the execution of a search warrant did not violate the visitor’s rights under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution or article I, section 8 of the Iowa Constitution.
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.
