In Rheeder v. Gray, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed a district court’s denial of motions for summary judgment brought by the City of Marion and former Marion Police Department employees, defendants in a suit by a former custodian for the Marion Police Department.
Warrantless searches of trash cans that had been barred by the 2021 decision under the Iowa Constitution’s equivalent of the Fourth Amendment are now lawful, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a decision handed down June 13.
In Brodie, et al. v. Foxhoven, et al., the Iowa Supreme Court affirmed the Iowa District Court for Mills County’s decision to grant summary judgment in favor of defendant Glenwood Resource Center (GRC) in a lawsuit filed by former employees claiming wrongful discharge in violation of public policy.
Owners of farmland whose surface water flows naturally onto neighboring properties have no control over how the downstream neighbors manage the water once it arrives on their land, provided the neighbors do no harm to upstream land owners, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a June 6 ruling.
A prosecutor cannot be monetarily sanctioned for misconduct in a criminal case, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a unanimous decision in response to what the Court said appeared to be an unprecedented sanction ordered by a district court. The decision in Christensen v. Iowa District Court for Story County was handed down May 30.
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…
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.
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.
The Iowa Supreme Court issued opinions in eleven cases in February 2026. At the links immediately below, you can read On Brief’s analysis of the following opinions:
Spencer Cady
Matt McGuire
Logan Eliasen
Dana Hempy
Samuel ProvinceOn 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.