UPDATES & ANALYSIS
Funeral service set for Rosemary Shaw Sackett, former Chief Judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals
Iowa Supreme Court begins 2022-23 term with oral arguments set for Des Moines and four other cities
Des Moines detectives not protected by qualified immunity, federal appeals court rules
Two Des Moines police detectives are not entitled to qualified immunity from civil liability for violating the Fourth Amendment rights of a woman who resisted their efforts to have access to her minor daughter suspected of being the victim of physical abuse, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit read more
Court of Appeals Judge David May elevated to Iowa Supreme Court by Governor Reynolds
Judge David May, who describes himself as a “regular person” who received “extraordinary blessings,” has risen to the pin
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Iowa Supreme Court upholds first-degree murder conviction after fourth trial
Stanley Liggins was convicted of first-degree murder from events which occurred in 1990. Liggins was charged with the murder of a nine-year-old child. Liggins’s initial conviction was overturned on appeal in 1994 due to the admission of irrelevant, prejudicial evidence at trial. Liggins was ag
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FEATURED POSTS
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 …
Fired Catholic school principal won’t get new trial, Iowa Supreme Court rules
A former principal of St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Des Moines will not get a new trial in her unsuccessful civil action against the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, St. Joseph’s Church, and the pastor who supervised her, for fraud and defamation by all defendants, and breach of contract against the pastor, Father Jose …
Iowa Supreme Court allows open records suit to proceed, saying the Governor is not immune from such litigation
The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed the Polk County District Court’s denial of a motion to dismiss a suit brought by journalists claiming Gov. Kim Reynolds and other staffers within her office violated the Iowa Open Records Act. In reaching that decision, the Court held the plaintiffs’ claims against the Governor did not vi …
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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.