A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reinstated manslaughter charges against a South Dakota woman who gave birth to a live baby that died within hours of toxicity from a combination of legal and illegal drugs the mother ingested while she was pregnant.
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Iowa Supreme Court adds a case on jurisdiction over criminal cases at Meskwaki Settlement
The Iowa Supreme Court scheduled an additional oral argument on July 10 in an appeal that raises questions about whether jurisdiction over criminal cases on the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama County belongs to the Tribe, to the State of Iowa or to the federal government.
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Why the Iowa Supreme Court declined to outlaw ‘pretextual’ traffic stops under the Iowa Constitution
On June 28 the Iowa Supreme Court handed down a decision in a case that presented an opportunity to strike down as unconstitutional so-called pretextual traffic stops by law enforcement officers motivated by racial bias.
In the end, the deeply divided Cou …
Definition of ‘confidential’ government records broadened by U.S. Supreme Court in South Dakota decision
A Sioux Falls, S.D., newspaper’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court on its federal Freedom of Information Act request for grocery stores’ food stamp records resulted in a reversal for the newspaper and for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. And businesses now will have a strong …
Applications now open to replace Chief Judge Vogel
The State Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications through July 22 for a vacancy on the Iowa Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court has read more
FEATURED POSTS
January 2024 Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in six cases during January 2024. You can read Rox Laird’s analysis of In re Detention of Schuman and Chicoine v. Wellmark, Inc., in separate posts. The remaining opinions from January are summarized below.
Iowa Constitution can protect legislators from subpoenas, Iowa Supreme Court holds
Iowa legislators are shielded by the Iowa Constitution from being forced to produce communications with third parties in a civil proceeding related to the passage of legislation, the Iowa Supreme Court held for the first time in a decision h …
Iowa Court of Appeals February 2024 Published Opinion Roundup
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…
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 Harbach was charged with driving while intoxicated aft …
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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.