State v. Paye
Annotate this CaseAt issue in this case was whether the front steps of a single-family home are a public place under Iowa’s public intoxication statute. Defendant was charged with public intoxication in violation of Iowa Code 123.46 after she was found intoxicated on the front steps of her home. After a jury-waived trial, the district court concluded that Defendant’s front stairs were a public place, and therefore, Defendant was guilty of public intoxication. The Supreme Court reversed, holding (1) the front steps of a single-family home are not a public place under section 123.46(2) unless the home’s residents make them public by extending a general invitation to the public at large to come upon the property; and (2) the evidence did not show that Defendant extended such an invitation to the public in this case. Remanded for the district court to dismiss the public intoxication charge.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.