The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in 10 cases in June 2025. At the links immediately below, you can read On Brief’s analysis of the following opinions.
June 2025 Opinion Roundup
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May 2025 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in 18 cases in May 2025. In addition to the nine cases covered elsewhere on this blog, summaries for the remaining opinions are below.
April 2025 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in seven cases in April 2025.
March 2025 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in fifteen cases in March 2025.
U.S. Supreme Court asked to overturn Iowa Supreme Court drug-sniffing dog decision
An Iowa woman seeking to overturn her drug possession conviction has filed a petition for certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that a police search of her vehicle based on a drug-detection dog’s sniff through an open window violated her Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
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Search of visitor’s backpack not in physical possession falls within premises warrant, Iowa Supreme Court holds
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.
Thank you, Rox Laird
After more than a decade of service to On Brief, we are announcing that Rox Laird is stepping away from his role as a contributor to the blog. Throughout his tenure, Rox has authored nearly 500 posts covering the Iowa Supreme Court, the Iowa Court…
May 2026 Iowa Court of Appeals Published Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In May, the Court of Appeals selected two opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions.
Iowa Supreme Court: Developer’s investment in windfarm project does not exempt it from new Worth County windmill restrictions
The developer of a wind energy project planned in Worth County did not have a “vested right” to continue with the project after the Worth County Board of Supervisors enacted an ordinance the developer claimed doomed the project, a divided Iowa Supreme Court held in an April 24 decision.
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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.