UPDATES & ANALYSIS
Iowa Supreme Court continues to debate meaning of the 4th Amendment and the breadth of Iowa’s Search-and-Seizure Clause
A quick look at what remains on the Iowa Supreme Court’s 2015-2016 docket
The Iowa Supreme Court is headed toward the home stretch of its current term, with 71 decisions on the books and 29 yet to be decided.
Among the questions yet to be decided is defining what the Iowa Constitution means by “infamous crimes” that deny vo …
UPDATE: Eighth Circuit denies ISU’s request for a stay
The Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in a two-sentence order has denied Iowa State University’s motion for a stay of U.S. District Judge James Gritzner’s January ruling that the university violated the First Amendment rights of students advocating reform of marijuana laws. (See Wednesda …
ISU asks Eighth Circuit to stop marijuana advocates from using the university’s logo
Iowa State University students advocating marijuana law reform won a First Amendment victory against the university in federal court in Des Moines in January. Now ISU wants to put that victory on hold while the university’s appeal is considered by the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. …
Griffin v. Pate: Does the meaning of “infamous crime” come down to what Justice Appel thinks?
By Ryan Koopmans
This morning, the Iowa Supreme Court will hear argument over what kinds of felons (if any) can vote. The Iowa Constitution says that a person who’s been convicted of an “infamous crime” can’t be an “elector” (whi …
FEATURED POSTS
One down, two to go: Senate Confirms Erickson to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
The Senate on September 28, 2017, confirmed U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson to replace Kermit Bye of North Dakota, filling one of three vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit.
Omaha lawyer Steven Grasz seems likely to sail through the Senate to replace former Chief Judge William Jay Riley.
Minneso …
Trump Administration has three vacancies to fill on the Eighth Circuit
This article was original published in the Summer 2017 edition of the Bar Association of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Newsletter, and is reprinted here with permission.
President Donald Trump is positioned to shape the federal circuit courts wit …
Is sexual harassment grounds for removing an elected official from office?
Abraham Watkins was elected Van Buren County Attorney and took office on Jan. 1, 2015. Two years and two days later, a Van Buren County judge ruled that Watkins was guilty of maladministration of office for sexual harassment of a county employee and ordered him removed from office.
A question in traffic-camera appeals: Do you have a constitutional right to break the speed limit in Iowa?
A legal dispute over a $75 traffic citation could have implications for thousands of drivers who receive speeding tickets in the mail based on evidence captured by an automated traffic-enforcement camera.
A number of lawsuits have been working their way thr …
STAY UPDATED
Get email alerts. You’ll never miss important posts about court cases, decisions, and news.
EDITORIAL TEAM
ABOUT
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.