Iowa Supreme Court Justice Susan Christensen, who was selected by her colleagues on the Court to become Chief Justice, will be the first chief justice to serve just a two-year term under a new statute enacted by the Iowa General Assembly in 2019. Prior to…
With the appointment of Cedar Rapids attorney Dana Oxley, the Supreme Court is one step closer to a historic transformation. On Jan 28, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the appointment of Oxley to replace the late Chief Justice Mark Cady. Oxley, 52, has practiced law at…
Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed Paul Ahlers of Fort Dodge to the Iowa Court of Appeals, replacing Judge Amanda Potterfield, who will retire in December. Ahlers is a District Associate judge in Judicial Election District 2B. He previously practiced law in Spencer, Fort Dodge and Webster…
The Iowa Court of Appeals is changing with retirements and the arrival of new members. Judge Thomas Bower of Cedar Falls has been elected chief judge of the appeals court, the Judicial Branch announced Oct. 10. Judge Bower, appointed to the court in 2012, replaces…
Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed Marshalltown attorney Sharon Soorholtz Greer and Polk County District Judge David May to the Iowa Court of Appeals May 29. They replace former Chief Judge David Danilson, who retired in January, and Judge Christopher McDonald, who was appointed to the Iowa…
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.
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.
A Guthrie County woman made statements to her son that he interpreted as serious threats of violence against a Department of Health and Human Services child protective worker and a judge six days ahead of a hearing regarding the Department’s removal of her minor children from her care. His concerns were reported to law enforcement, and she was subsequently convicted on one count of threat of terrorism under Iowa Code Chapter 708A.
The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in ten cases in January 2026. On Brief has analyzed three opinions in separate posts. The remaining opinions from January are summarized below.
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.
