Iowa Supreme Court Decisions
Seven justices serve on the Iowa Supreme Court, which is the first court to which an appeal is sent from a trial court in Iowa. The Supreme Court will decide whether to review the appeal or send the appeal to the Iowa Court of Appeals. The majority of the cases that are appealed to the Supreme Court involve criminal, family, or juvenile matters. The Court supervises lower courts in Iowa and administers the affairs of the judicial branch.
A candidate for the Supreme Court must be admitted to practice law in the state, and they also must be able to complete an eight-year term before they turn 72, which is the mandatory retirement age for judges in Iowa. The State Judicial Nominating Commission handles the initial stage of evaluating candidates, since Iowa uses a commission-selection, political appointment system of selecting justices. The Commission provides a list of candidates to the Governor, who will make the final appointment. However, once a justice has been appointed, they must go through a retention election in the first general election after they have served for one year. They will serve the full eight-year term only if they win the retention election. Otherwise, they must leave the Court at the end of the year in which the election is held. The Chief Justice is elected by the other justices of the Court, and they serve for the same term as they would if they were an ordinary justice.
In addition to being voted out in a retention election, there are two ways in which a justice may be removed from the Iowa Supreme Court. First, they may be removed if they are impeached by a majority vote of the Iowa House of Representatives and then convicted by a two-thirds vote of the Iowa Senate. A justice also may be removed if the Supreme Court determines that this is appropriate based on a recommendation by the Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission.
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Recent Decisions From the Iowa Supreme Court
Date: June 6, 2025
Docket Number: 23-0605
Justia Opinion Summary: A custodian for a city police department sued the city and some of its employees, claiming she experienced sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Iowa Civil Rights Act (ICRA). The custodian alleged that a…
Date: June 6, 2025
Docket Number: 24-0298
Justia Opinion Summary: Siblings Martin, Paula, and Tom Robinson, along with Tom’s wife Laura, own adjoining farm properties and claim a drainage easement across properties owned by Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) and Kenneth and Deanice…
Date: May 30, 2025
Docket Number: 22-2048
Justia Opinion Summary: Fatima Belhak experienced complications during childbirth, leading Dr. Denice Smith to perform an episiotomy. Post-delivery, Belhak suffered from pain and infection due to a misdiagnosed fourth-degree laceration, which…
Date: May 30, 2025
Docket Number: 24-0289
Justia Opinion Summary: A criminal defendant was charged with operating while intoxicated after being pulled over for speeding. The arresting officer used radar to determine the defendant's speed. The assistant county attorney, Theron…
Date: May 30, 2025
Docket Number: 24-0641
Justia Opinion Summary: A qualified nonresident transmission company challenged an Iowa statute that granted incumbent utilities a right of first refusal (ROFR) for electric transmission projects, arguing it was unconstitutionally enacted. The…
Date: May 23, 2025
Docket Number: 23-0509
Justia Opinion Summary: Douglas Wilson underwent hip replacement surgery at Shenandoah Medical Center (SMC) and was injured in a fall while recovering. He and his wife sued the hospital for professional negligence in his postoperative care.…
Date: May 23, 2025
Docket Number: 23-0603
Justia Opinion Summary: Several estates filed a lawsuit against Tyson Foods Inc. and several of its corporate executives and plant supervisors, alleging gross negligence and fraud after four former workers at Tyson Foods’ pork processing plant…
Date: May 23, 2025
Docket Number: 23-0964
Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was pulled over by deputies in Des Moines County after they responded to a reckless-driver complaint and observed her driving erratically. The deputies noted symptoms of intoxication and conducted field…
Date: May 23, 2025
Docket Number: 24-0346
Justia Opinion Summary: Five employees of the Glenwood Resource Center (GRC), a residence for individuals with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities, left their jobs during a period when the superintendent conducted unauthorized…
Date: May 16, 2025
Docket Number: 23-1220
Justia Opinion Summary: A former high school tennis coach was accused of inappropriate touching and harassment by students. The school district investigated and found no inappropriate touching or bullying but recommended the coach avoid…
Date: May 16, 2025
Docket Number: 23-1375
Justia Opinion Summary: Ronald Eugene Cooley was charged with failing to fulfill his sex offender registration requirements after moving to a new address. Iowa law mandates that sex offenders must appear in person to notify the sheriff of any…
Date: May 16, 2025
Docket Number: 23-1786
Justia Opinion Summary: Vanessa Gale was at a convenience store in Davenport when she encountered Romaro Houston. They walked outside together and got into Gale’s car. Shortly after, police officers arrived to arrest Houston, leading to a…
Date: May 16, 2025
Docket Number: 24-0879
Date: May 16, 2025
Docket Number: 24-0882
Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves $14,100.00 in cash seized by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office from a Bitcoin ATM kiosk in Cedar Rapids during a fraud investigation. Bitcoin Depot, the owner of the ATM, sought the return of the seized…
Date: May 16, 2025
Docket Number: 24-1894
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.
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