Iowa Case Law

The Iowa state court system is divided into three levels. The highest court in Iowa is the Iowa Supreme Court, which consists of seven judges. The Supreme Court reviews appeals of decisions by the Iowa Court of Appeals. It also reviews appeals of decisions by trial courts in limited situations. Decisions by the Iowa Supreme Court are final unless the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to review an appeal of a decision.

The middle level of the Iowa state court system is the Iowa Court of Appeals, which consists of nine judges. The Court of Appeals reviews cases that are assigned to it by the Supreme Court, which receives all initial appeals from trial courts. Decisions by the Court of Appeals are final unless the Supreme Court agrees to review an appeal of a decision.

The lowest level of the Iowa state court system consists of the Iowa District Courts. These are trial courts with general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. Iowa is divided into eight judicial districts, which contain 14 total District Courts.