The Iowa Supreme Court heard arguments in seven cases on September 9th and 10th. Five other cases were submitted to the Court without oral argument. The following are summaries of those cases.
State v. Patterson
Argued September 9th at
Latest from On Brief: Iowa's Appellate Blog
A statistical review of the 2025-26 Iowa Supreme Court term: “The Incredible Shrinking Judicial Opinion”
[This article by Matthew A. McGuire was originally published in the August 2026 issue of The Iowa Lawyer magazine.]
The last four Iowa Supreme Court terms—from the 2022-2023 term to the recently concluded 2025-2026 term—have seen a stylistic shift in how
Iowa Supreme Court Upholds Immunity in Horse-Drawn Mower Injury Case
The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of a personal injury claim arising from an accident involving a horse-drawn sickle mower in a unanimous decision filed on June 12, 2026. In Shafer v. Santana, the Court held that a
July 2026 Iowa Court of Appeals Published Opinions Roundup
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In July, the Court of Appeals selected two opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions.
Thompson v. State, No. 25-0891
Opinion date: April
Iowa Supreme Court Limits Human Trafficking Liability Under 2024 Statute, Requiring an Actual Victim
The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed dismissal of a human trafficking charge and clarified that, under the 2024 statute, a defendant cannot commit human trafficking by attempting to buy sex from a victim who does not exist. In a unanimous decision
Iowa Supreme Court affirms child endangerment convictions and extends emotional harm theory to siblings
In a 5–2 decision filed on June 12, 2026, the Iowa Supreme Court in State v. Gibbs upheld a mother’s three child endangerment convictions under Iowa Code section 726.6(1)(a). Chief Justice Christensen wrote the majority opinion, joined by Justices McDonald,
Iowa Supreme Court upholds harassment conviction and clarifies that a defendant need not initiate contact to commit harassment
In a unanimous decision filed on May 22, 2026, the Iowa Supreme Court in State v. Hall held that a defendant need not be the person who initiated an encounter to commit harassment. The Court also held that a sentencing
Search of visitor’s backpack not in physical possession falls within premises warrant, Iowa Supreme Court holds
In a divided 5–2 decision issued on March 27, 2026, the Iowa Supreme Court held that the search of a visitor’s backpack found on the premises during the execution of a search warrant did not violate the visitor’s rights under the
Thank you, Rox Laird
After more than a decade of service to On Brief, we are announcing that Rox Laird is stepping away from his role as a contributor to the blog.
Throughout his tenure, Rox has authored nearly 500 posts covering the Iowa
May 2026 Iowa Court of Appeals Published Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In May, the Court of Appeals selected two opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions.
Jay Straight and Lori Straight v. Hagie Manufacturing