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 filed on June 19, 2026, the Iowa Supreme Court in State v. Lind held that,…

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, Oxley, McDermott, and May. Justice Mansfield filed a partial dissent, joined by Justice Waterman, concurring…

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 court may impose a five-year no-contact order without separately explaining its reasons, and that the…

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 Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution or article I, section 8 of the Iowa…

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 Supreme Court, the Iowa Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the…

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 Co., No. 25-0326
Opinion date: March 11, 2026
On appeal from Harrison County District Court…

The developer of a wind energy project planned in Worth County did not have a “vested right” to continue with the project after the Worth County Board of Supervisors enacted an ordinance the developer claimed doomed the project, a divided Iowa Supreme Court held in an April 24 decision.
Chicago-based Invernergy’s Worthwhile Wind affiliate…