The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in a criminal appeal when it makes its first post-Covid trip outside the Judicial Branch Building for an oral argument in Oskaloosa on Sept. 23. A key issue in the case is whether a passenger in the vehicle operated by a ride-hailing service such as Lyft or Uber may be ordered to e …
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Christopher McDonald talks about his approach to being an appellate judge in podcast interview
In a new “In the Balance” podcast interview, Iowa Supreme Court Justice Christopher McDonald talks about his career as a lawyer in private practice and as a trial and appell …
Iowa Supreme Court 2020-21 statistical review: Christensen Court thinks outside voting blocs
After two previous terms marked by historic turnover due to retirements, deaths, and new appointments, the Iowa Supreme Court closed the books on the 2020-21 term last month with all seven justices serving the entire term.
Thus it’s possible to observe some trends among new members of the Court as well as the veteran jus …
Two Iowa Supreme Court appeals challenge State jurisdiction on Tama Indian Settlement
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear appeals in the coming term on the question of whether the State of Iowa or the federal government has jurisdiction over two criminal cases involving Native American members of the Tama Indian Settlement in Tama County.
The cases are State v. Bear (20-0401) and State v. Cungti …
Iowa Supreme Court: Lawsuit challenging governor’s judicial appointment presents a “political question,” not a question for the courts
In State of Iowa ex rel. Dickey v. Besler, an opinion issued in February 2021, the Iowa Supreme Court was confronted with a lawsuit by a private citizen challenging the appointment of and Iowa District Court judge as invalid under state law. The Supreme Court held that a private citizen does possess standing to bri …
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Pipeline statute giving surveyors access to private property is constitutional, Iowa Supreme Court holds
Iowa’s statute governing hazardous underground pipelines that allows pipeline developers to enter private property to conduct surveys against a landowner’s will is not an unconstitutional taking, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a Nov. 22 decision.
Divided Iowa Supreme Court upholds state law governing restoration of firearms rights
In its first decision addressing a 2022 constitutional amendment that for the first time recognizes a “fundamental” right to bear arms in the Iowa Constitution, a divided Iowa Supreme Court affirmed the Pottawattamie District Court’s ruling denying an Iowa man’s bid to have his firearms rights restored after those rights had been revoked.
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in one case in Marshalltown Nov. 19
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Nov. 19 in an evening session in Marshalltown in a case that involves the legality of a home search under the Iowa Constitution.
The Nov. 19 argument in Marshalltown is one in a series of court sessions held outside of the Judicial Branch Building in Des Moines to give Iowa …
Malpractice case resulting in $97 million verdict sent back for a new trial by Iowa Supreme Court
A manufacturer’s written package insert regarding the use of an obstetrical vacuum used to deliver a baby born with brain damage contained hearsay that should not have been allowed into evidence in a medical malpractice trial that resulted in a $97 million jury verdict, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a unanimous ruling issued Nov. 8.
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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.