The Iowa Supreme Court has agreed to consider an appeal in a case that could decide the constitutionality of recent legislation passed by the Iowa General Assembly that prevents county election officials from using a statewide voter database to fill in voter identification numbers missing from absentee ballot request forms. The Oct. 14 order was signed by Chief Justice Susan Christensen for the Court. Justices Christopher McDonald and Matthew McDermott dissented. The Court is likely…

With an election just over two weeks away, the Iowa Supreme Court Thursday appeared to close the books on a flurry of litigation on the question of what information county election officials may or may not include on absentee ballot request forms. In an unsigned opinion in Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Iowa Democratic Party v. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (20-1281), the Court reversed an Oct. 5 order by…

The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in 11 appeals Oct. 14 and 15. In addition, three cases will be submitted to the Court this week without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of the October cases. Go to On Brief’s Cases in the Pipeline page to read briefs filed in these appeals. In the interest of D.D., Minor Child Issue: Should a Child In Need of Assistance proceeding be terminated? Set for argument Oct.…

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen talks about her roots in rural Iowa and her journey from working up from a legal secretary to the pinnacle of Iowa’s court system in an interview on the “In the Balance” podcast now posted on the Judicial Branch website. In the interview with podcast producer Marissa Gaal, Iowa Judicial Branch public information assistant, Christensen talks about how her first job as a legal secretary in a Sioux…

Ninety-five Iowa judges — including four members of the Iowa Supreme Court and four members of the Iowa Court of Appeals — will be standing for retention in the Nov. 3 General Election. Under Iowa’s judicial selection process, judges and justices are appointed by the governor from a list of applicants selected by nonpartisan commissions made up of lawyers and citizens. Judges then stand for retention prior to the end of their terms in a…

The Iowa Supreme Court issued a two-paragraph order Wednesday denying separate appeals from Linn County Auditor Joel Miller and a Cedar Rapids resident seeking interlocutory review of Sixth Judicial District Judge Ian Thornhill’s temporary injunction enforcing Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s directive that absentee ballot request forms not include pre-printed voter identification information. The two appeals flow from an Aug. 10  lawsuit against the Linn County Auditor by the Republican National Committee, Donald J.…