Iowa Supreme Court Decisions 2024

Justia Opinion Summary: On the night of October 9, 2021, Wichang Chawech was at a bar in Des Moines with friends. After altercations between his friends and other patrons, Chawech pulled out a 9 mm pistol and fired a shot, grazing a man's jaw…

Justia Opinion Summary: Artell Young, a federal supervised releasee, was subject to a search condition allowing federal probation officers to search his person, vehicle, or home upon reasonable suspicion of contraband or release condition…

Justia Opinion Summary: Orange City passed an ordinance requiring periodic inspections of rental properties. If entry for inspection is refused, the ordinance allows the city inspector to seek legal remedies, including obtaining an…

Justia Opinion Summary: John Feller was charged in 2011 with lascivious acts with a child and third-degree sexual abuse after his stepdaughter reported abuse. He pleaded guilty to two counts of lascivious acts with a child and was sentenced to…

Justia Opinion Summary: An employee, Ashley Koester, worked as a mobile crisis counselor for Eyerly-Ball Community Health Services. She believed she was entitled to overtime compensation for her on-call hours and filled out timesheets…

Justia Opinion Summary: Silvia Cianzio, a retired professor from Iowa State University, filed a lawsuit against the university, the Iowa Board of Regents, and the State of Iowa, alleging wage discrimination in violation of Iowa Code section…

Justia Opinion Summary: Regena Strable, a marketing director at Altoona Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, injured her left ankle at work, leading to permanent partial disability. This injury caused further physical injuries to her hip and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Todd Halbur was terminated from his position as comptroller of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (ABD). Halbur claimed he was fired in retaliation for reporting to his supervisor, Stephen Larson, that ABD was…

Justia Opinion Summary: A police officer initiated a traffic stop of Ashlee Mumford because the vehicle's license plate was obscured by dirt and grime. During the stop, a drug detection dog conducted a sniff around the vehicle, briefly touching…

Justia Opinion Summary: Graphite Construction Group, Inc. (Graphite) was hired by Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in 2019 for a construction project. DMACC withheld 5% of each payment as retainage, amounting to about $510,000 by…

Justia Opinion Summary: A landowner in Hardin County, Iowa, refused to allow a surveyor for a pipeline developer to enter his private property. The developer, Summit Carbon Solutions, LLC, sought access under Iowa Code section 479B.15, which…

Justia Opinion Summary: Several landowners owned a tract of land near the intersection of a highway and Interstate 35. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) planned to modernize the interchange and condemned a strip of the landowners'…

Justia Opinion Summary: Chad Allen Staton was convicted by a jury of incest and sexual abuse of his daughter. He appealed his conviction, arguing that the evidence was insufficient, the district court erred by allowing his daughter to testify…

Justia Opinion Summary: Daniel Murillo, a registered sex offender, sought to modify his registry requirements under Iowa Code section 692A.128. Murillo had pleaded guilty to sexual abuse in the third degree in 2005 and was required to register…

Justia Opinion Summary: N.S. was involuntarily committed at age sixteen in 2006, which disqualified him from possessing firearms under federal law. In August 2022, he filed a petition under Iowa Code section 724.31 for the restoration of his…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jeffrey Flynn was stopped by Dubuque County Deputy Sheriff Rob Freund for speeding. Freund suspected Flynn was intoxicated after smelling alcohol and hearing Flynn admit to drinking. Flynn performed poorly on field…

Justia Opinion Summary: A baby, S.K., was injured during labor and delivery, allegedly due to the negligence of the delivering doctor, Dr. Goodman, who used a Mityvac obstetrical vacuum delivery system. The plaintiff, S.K.'s conservator,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant engaged in online conversations with an undercover police officer posing as a fifteen-year-old girl. He arranged to meet the girl for sex at a gas station shower room. Upon arrival, he was arrested and…

Justia Opinion Summary: A credit union filed a claim in probate court, asserting that the decedent owed money on a car loan. The estate mailed a notice of disallowance to the credit union, but the credit union claimed it never received the…

Justia Opinion Summary: A couple with older children volunteered to care for the newborn child of an incarcerated mother struggling with methamphetamine addiction. The mother relapsed multiple times, and the couple eventually became the child's…

Justia Opinion Summary: Reuben Schooley was convicted of child endangerment causing bodily injury after an incident where he slapped his nine-year-old daughter, spanked her, yanked her by the shirt, and told her to leave the house. The child…

Justia Opinion Summary: Sarah Berg, an employee at Casey’s General Store, activated three gift cards without paying for them and used one to purchase gas the next day. She was arrested for fourth-degree theft. The county attorney did not file a…

Justia Opinion Summary: A county auditor filed an administrative complaint against the Secretary of State, alleging that the statewide voter registration file, known as I-Voters, lacked adequate security measures and safeguards to prevent…

Justia Opinion Summary: A sixteen-year-old defendant, concerned that a poor Spanish grade might hinder his plans to study abroad, conspired with a friend to murder his Spanish teacher. They meticulously planned and executed the murder, later…

Justia Opinion Summary: Eric Harris was arrested on March 25, 2023, on suspicion of arson and other crimes. He had his initial appearance before a magistrate the next day, March 26. The State filed its trial information on May 10, which was the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Three Libertarian Party candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives were disqualified from the 2024 general election ballot by the State Objection Panel for failing to comply with Iowa's statutory nomination…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Derek White, who was charged with child neglect or abuse and child endangerment causing bodily injury. The charges stemmed from the discovery of extensive bruising on a two-year-old child, D.C., who…

Justia Opinion Summary: Nathan Olsen, convicted of a sex offense in Wisconsin in 2009, moved to Iowa where he was required to register as a sex offender. After serving a prison sentence for an unrelated crime, Olsen moved to Illinois where he…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant who appealed the denial of her motion to suppress evidence obtained from a traffic stop, a dog sniff of her vehicle, and a search of her purse. The defendant was driving slower than the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a challenge to an Iowa law that prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The plaintiffs, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Inc., Emma Goldman Clinic, and Sarah Traxler, filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Shannon Hightower pleaded guilty to dependent adult abuse and theft in the second degree. She later appealed, arguing that there were defects in her guilty plea, her sentencing, and the conditions set for her appeal…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Vagts family, who own and operate a dairy farm in West Union, Iowa, filed a nuisance suit against Northern Natural Gas Company (NNG). NNG operates a natural gas pipeline that runs under the Vagts' property and uses a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over the boundary between two parcels of land in Wapello County, Iowa. The northern parcel was owned by the Handlings and the southern parcel by the Sims. Both parties treated a fence line as…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Ron Myers, suffered a leg injury after slipping on a diving board at a city pool in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He sued the City of Cedar Falls, alleging that the diving board lacked a slip-resistant surface…

Justia Opinion Summary: Sally Splittgerber suffered a fall while walking on a city sidewalk, leading to a personal injury lawsuit against the owner of the adjacent property, the lessee of that property (Bankers Trust), and the City of Des…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Kari Schwartz, a high school teacher, who was found guilty of sexual exploitation by a school employee. The charges stemmed from her relationship with a 17-year-old student, A.S., in her art class.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Timothy Smith was convicted of two counts of sexual abuse in the second degree for the sexual abuse of his former stepdaughter, H.R. Smith filed an application for postconviction relief, arguing that his trial counsel…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a legal malpractice action against a state public defender, who represented a client convicted of sexual abuse. The client, Donald Lyle Clark, was convicted and sentenced to prison. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a landowner, Medardo Rivera, who sought to clear an easement from his property. The easement was granted by a previous owner of the property to Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc., and later assigned to TLC…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, a private citizen, Robert Teig, appealed a summary judgment granted to city officials in his lawsuit alleging violations of the Iowa Open Records Act. Teig had requested job applications and other documents…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Lasondra Johnson, who was charged with first-degree murder following a series of events that led to her shooting and killing Jada YoungMills. Johnson claimed she acted in self-defense, invoking…

Justia Opinion Summary: Darius Wade was pulled over for speeding, and the officer detected the smell of marijuana. A search of Wade's truck revealed a 9mm handgun in a backpack. Wade was charged and convicted of possession of a firearm by a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute over the will of Richard D. Janssen, who had six children: Dean, Sheryl, Debra, Jeff, Larry, and Gary. Richard and his wife Melva owned three parcels of farmland, which they held as…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Abel Gomez Medina, who was convicted of sexual abuse and indecent contact with a minor. The minor, identified as Dorothy, was his stepdaughter. She reported the abuse to her school counselor,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Amy Lois Rasmussen, who was charged with two counts of assault causing bodily injury and one count of simple assault following a confrontation with three women outside Boone City Hall. The confrontation…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a medical malpractice claim filed by Darrin P. Miller against Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa, Corp. and several medical professionals. The claim arose from the death of Miller's wife, Meredith,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Emilio Puente, a police officer for the City of Iowa City, resigned from his position and later attempted to rescind his resignation. When the City rejected his attempt, Puente filed an action with the Civil Service…

Justia Opinion Summary: An elderly woman, Janice Geerdes, and her long-time friend, Albert Gomez Cruz, had a partnership raising hogs on a piece of land. Initially, Janice deeded half of her interest in the land to Albert. Over a decade later,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves two attorneys, Jeffrey Peterzalek and Molly Weber, who sought to quash subpoenas for their depositions in a civil rights case brought by Charis Paulson against her employers, the State of Iowa and the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Iowa was asked to determine who should bear the costs of a technology vendor hired to review a large volume of emails seized under a search warrant for potential attorney-client…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant, Brandon Lee, who was convicted of two counts of first-degree robbery, willful injury causing serious injury, willful injury causing bodily injury, theft in the first degree, and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Dee Delaney, an employee who suffered two separate injuries to her legs in 1986 and 2019. The latter injury, which occurred during her employment with Nordstrom, Inc., required knee surgery and resulted…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a convicted felon, Adam Aaron Rhodes, who was charged with possession of a firearm, a muzzleloader replica of an antique firearm, in violation of Iowa Code section 724.26(1). Rhodes argued that his…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over a postnuptial modification of a premarital agreement. The parties, David and Elizabeth Roberts, entered into a premarital agreement before their marriage in 1993. The agreement stipulated…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between the Terrace Hill Society Foundation (THSF) and the Terrace Hill Commission (the Commission) over the ownership and control of a collection of property and historical artifacts…

Justia Opinion Summary: A juvenile, K.C., was charged with two serious misdemeanors: carrying dangerous weapons and possession of marijuana. As K.C. was 17 at the time of the incident, the juvenile court had initial jurisdiction. However, after…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Lori Randolph, who was injured after falling down stairs in a rental property owned by Aidan, LLC. Randolph sued Aidan, alleging negligence in failing to provide safe stairs. Aidan, in turn,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around the Kirkwood Institute's request for public records from the Office of the Auditor of State in Iowa. The Institute sought emails between the Auditor's office and two investigative reporters. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Iowa reviewed a case involving a dispute between the University of Iowa and Modern Piping, Inc., a mechanical contractor. The dispute arose during the construction of the University of Iowa Stead…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute within the Hora family over the operation of their family farm, Hora Farms, Inc. (HFI). Two brothers, Brian and Gregg Hora, brought a derivative action as minority shareholders against their…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Clayton Curtis Brown, who was convicted of possession of a firearm as a felon, aggravated eluding, and driving while barred. The charges stemmed from an incident where Brown eluded a police officer's…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Christopher James Wilson, was charged with two counts of indecent exposure after he was seen masturbating in public by two women, E.H. and T.A., at a gas station. Wilson followed the women to another…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jesse McCollaugh was found guilty of child exploitation after his wife discovered videos on his phone of her 15-year-old sister using the bathroom, which McCollaugh had secretly recorded. The videos showed the minor…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves William and Mary Goche, LLC; Global Assets, LLC; and Joseph Goche (collectively “Goche”), who own land in three different drainage districts in Kossuth County. The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Tracy White, an employee of the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS), who filed a lawsuit against the State of Iowa and DHS under the Iowa Civil Rights Act (ICRA) alleging a hostile work environment.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Iowa, a case involved Bridgestone Americas, Inc., and Old Republic Insurance Company, appellants, against Charles Anderson, appellee. Anderson, an employee of Bridgestone, reported a right…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Iowa upheld the decision of the Iowa Court of Appeals and the district court that sentenced a recidivist drug offender, Jacob Lee Goble, to an indeterminate prison sentence of up to five years.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Iowa ruled in a case involving an individual, Faron Alan Starr, who was arrested and denied his request to call a family member to get an attorney. Starr was suspected of an assault and stealing two…

Justia Opinion Summary: The appellant, Lawrence George Canady III, had been charged with voluntary manslaughter, willful injury causing bodily injury, and assault causing bodily injury due to his involvement in a fatal nighttime shooting…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Iowa affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals and the District Court in favor of the City of Des Moines, in a case brought by Lime Lounge, LLC. Lime Lounge, a bar, challenged a city ordinance…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case at hand arose from the appeal by Scott Randolph Luke, who was convicted of domestic abuse assault while on probation for two previous domestic abuse assaults. The district court sentenced him to two years in…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Iowa, the case involved David Jackson, who was involved in a car accident that resulted in the death of another motorist. Jackson was convicted of vehicular homicide by operating while…

Justia Opinion Summary: A case was brought before the Supreme Court of Iowa involving Kadin Miller, who was convicted of harassment after he posted a video of himself and his ex-girlfriend engaged in consensual sexual intercourse on a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Iowa Supreme Court reviewed a dispute involving property owners David and Jeanie Vaudt and Wells Fargo Bank, which held the mortgage on neighboring property owned by Fredesvindo Enamorado Diaz and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Iowa was asked to consider whether the Iowa Constitution supports a legislative privilege that protects legislators from compelled production of documents related to legislation. The court concluded…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Iowa upheld the conviction of the defendant, Sydney Leiann Slaughter, for gambling and making a false claim of winnings. The defendant falsely claimed that she won a slot machine…

Justia Opinion Summary: In Iowa, the defendant, Jesse Jon Harbach, was involved in a single-vehicle rollover accident. Based on observations at the scene, an officer applied for a warrant to draw blood from Harbach. The test revealed…

Justia Opinion Summary: In Iowa in 2021, a mother of six, Paula Cole, left her five oldest children, ranging in age from 12 to five, asleep at home while she left to go to Walmart for groceries, taking her youngest, an infant, with her. While…

Justia Opinion Summary: Marshall Sandlin, a laborer at Mid American Construction LLC, suffered an injury to his left foot during work. After an initial medical examination conducted by a physician chosen by Mid American's insurance carrier,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Charlene and Michael Jorgensen sued Dr. Adam Smith, his professional corporation (Adam Smith, M.D., P.C.), and Tri-State Specialists, L.L.P., a clinic that employed Dr. Smith, after Charlene underwent…

Justia Opinion Summary: In Iowa, a ten-year-old boy was treated at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) for a dislodged feeding tube and died the next day. The boy's mother filed administrative tort claims on behalf of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Iowa examined a case where a defendant, T.J., was ordered to pay restitution after the court had already dismissed and expunged all charges upon completion of a deferred judgment. T.J. had pleaded…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Iowa reviewed a workers' compensation case involving Michael Rife, a welder who sustained two separate shoulder injuries in the course of his employment with P.M. Lattner Manufacturing…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the state of Iowa, a police officer investigated a suspected case of driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated. The officer pulled over the suspect, Colby Laub, and obtained a search warrant to collect a breath…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case heard by the Supreme Court of Iowa, the defendant, Morgan Marie McMickle, was charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OWI). McMickle was stopped by law enforcement after rear-ending another…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, decided by the Supreme Court of Iowa, Justin Loew, an employee of Menard, Inc., appealed the district court's decision that denied his claim for workers' compensation benefits. Loew had previously received…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case concerns Sandra Selden, an employee at the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), who alleged that she was a victim of illegal wage discrimination based on sex and wrongful retaliation. Selden discovered…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the early morning of January 26, 2019, Simranjit Singh was driving a truck on Interstate 80 in Cass County, Iowa, when he hit a cow that had wandered onto the road. Singh was injured and his truck was damaged. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Iowa, the State of Iowa appealed against the district court's dismissal of an extortion charge against Jerome Bailey Sr. Bailey had demanded $10,000 from his former property manager, threatening…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case was heard by the Supreme Court of Iowa and involved an appeal by a defendant, Demetrias Martin, who was challenging the mandatory minimum term imposed with his sentence for first-degree robbery. The main issue…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, three chiropractors and their respective business entities sued Wellmark, Iowa’s largest health insurer and claims administrator, alleging that the company violated Iowa antitrust laws through its…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Iowa addressed whether the district court erred in ordering the placement of a sexually violent predator in a transitional release program over the State’s objection. The State argued…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Iowa, the case involved a dispute between divorced parents who held joint legal custody of their children. The parents disagreed on whether their children should receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a workers' compensation case, an employee was injured and sought compensation from her employer and its insurance carrier. The employee failed to provide her expert witness's evidence in a timely manner, serving them…