UPDATES & ANALYSIS
Municipal water utility not protected from strict liability for main breaks, Iowa Supreme Court rules
With sex-affirming surgery case declared moot by Iowa Supreme Court, resolution of constitutional questions awaits a future case
Iowa Supreme Court holds Black defendant not harmed by juror strike, but three justices object to a race-related reference in juror questioning
Iowa Supreme Court unanimously overturns 2017 Godfrey precedent establishing direct damages claims under Iowa Constitution
In an opinion filed May 5, 2023 in Burnett v. Smith and State of Iowa the Iowa Supreme Court overruled its 2017 opinion in Godfrey v. State, which recognized a private right of action for damages against State officials f …
An entity created by local governments is beyond the State Auditor’s reach, according to the Iowa Supreme Court
The Iowa State Auditor is empowered by the Iowa Code to audit agencies of the state government and certain governmental subdivisions of the State, including cities and counties. Meanwhile, local governments are authorized by the Iowa Code to form collaborative entities. Does that mean the State Auditor has authority to audi …
FEATURED POSTS
Question before Iowa Supreme Court: Was a defendant free to drive off from a police encounter?
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear an oral argument at the University of Iowa in a case that poses a question with an often-elusive answer under the Fourth Amendment: When does a reasonable person feel free to walk or drive away from a police encounter?
The oral argument in this case is set for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Un …
Federal appeals court to hear arguments Sept. 20 on Iowa law barring undercover access to livestock facilities
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit will hear oral arguments in St. Louis Sept. 20 in two appeals brought by the State of Iowa defending statutes that make it illegal to trespass or to lie on a job application to gain entry with the intent of using cameras or electronic surveillance to publicly expose animal cr …
Iowa Supreme Court to hear a case in Waverly involving a search prompted by a drug-detection dog
Did a law-enforcement officer step across a constitutional line when he touched the cab of a semi-tractor, seeming to direct a drug-detection dog where to sniff for the presence of potentially illegal drugs?
That is the question before the Iowa Supreme Court that will be argued Sept. 19 at Waverly-Shell Rock High School. …
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in six cases Sept. 13-14
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in six cases Sept. 13 and 14 at the Judicial Branch Building in Des Moines. Eight additional cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of the September cases. Go to On Brief’s “Cases in …
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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.