The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication within the North Western Reporter. On February 9, 2024, the Court of Appeals selected three opinions for publication, summarized below…
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Deputy’s misstatements in warrant application were not intentionally false, Iowa Supreme Court rules
A divided Iowa Supreme Court held that evidence procured via a warrant should not have been suppressed by a trial judge because any false statements by a deputy sheriff in support of the warrant were not intentionally made with reckless disregard for the truth. Jesse…
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in 11 cases Feb. 19-21
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in 11 cases Feb. 19-21. Go to On Brief’s “Cases in the Pipeline” page to read briefs filed in these cases. Following are brief summaries of the February cases.
Public invited to observe Iowa Supreme Court oral arguments at an evening session Feb. 19
The Iowa Supreme Court will hold a special evening session in Des Moines Feb. 19 to hear oral arguments in a case involving the right of a criminal suspect in police custody to contact a lawyer or family member. Oral arguments are ordinarily held during…
Iowa Supreme Court: It is not enough to say that a cow does not belong on a highway
Was it enough for a truck driver who struck a cow on the interstate, seeking to prove the cow’s owner was negligent, to rely upon the very fact that the cow had been allowed to wander onto the highway in the first place? Not without…
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Attorney-client privilege curbs State Auditor’s subpoena power, Iowa Supreme Court holds
The State Auditor has broad access under Iowa law to state and local records in conducting audits, including otherwise confidential information, but the Auditor’s access does not extend to records shielded by attorney-client privilege, the Iowa Supreme Court held in an April 17 decision.
Iowa Supreme Court holds a general contractor is not liable for injuries to a subcontractor’s employee
The Iowa Supreme Court reversed a $20.5 million Polk County jury verdict against homebuilder D.R. Horton for negligence arising from a subcontractor’s employee being briefly buried under several feet of dirt while working in a trench.
February 2026 Iowa Court of Appeals Published Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In February, the Court of Appeals selected six opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions.
Defendant should not have had to ‘bet the house’ to avoid prison, Iowa Supreme Court holds
Christopher Hidlebaugh accepted a financial challenge in a plea deal with the State: purchase a home to avoid going to prison on a charge of failing to register as a sex offender. The deal fell apart, however, when Hidlebaugh was unable to qualify for financing to purchase a home, and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Dallas County District Court.
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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.