Iowa Case Commentaries

Best Interests of the Child Standard Reinforced: Emphasis on Safety and Permanent Home in Parental Rights Termination

Date: Nov 18, 2006

Best Interests of the Child Standard Reinforced: Emphasis on Safety and Permanent Home in Parental Rights Termination Introduction In the landmark case In the Interest of J.E., Minor Child, R.E.,...

Reaffirming Standards for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Jury Instruction Errors – State v. Ondayog

Date: Oct 21, 2006

Reaffirming Standards for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Jury Instruction Errors – State v. Ondayog Introduction In the landmark case of State of Iowa v. Reynold Raynaldo Ondayog, the Supreme...

Re-defining Felony Murder: Iowa Supreme Court Excludes Willful Injury as Predicate in State v. Heemstra

Date: Sep 26, 2006

Re-defining Felony Murder: Iowa Supreme Court Excludes Willful Injury as Predicate in State v. Heemstra Introduction In the landmark case State of Iowa v. Rodney Neil Heemstra (721 N.W.2d 549), the...

Affirmation and Remand: Nitcher v. State of Iowa – A New Precedent on Warrantless Searches under Exigent Circumstances

Date: Aug 12, 2006

Affirmation and Remand: Nitcher v. State of Iowa – A New Precedent on Warrantless Searches under Exigent Circumstances Introduction In State of Iowa v. Jeffrey Michael Nitcher (720 N.W.2d 547), the...

Iowa Supreme Court Reinforces Equitable Distribution Principles for Premarital Assets and Retirement Accounts in Marital Dissolution

Date: Jun 14, 2006

Iowa Supreme Court Reinforces Equitable Distribution Principles for Premarital Assets and Retirement Accounts in Marital Dissolution Introduction The case of In re the Marriage of Donna Lee Sullins...

Affirmation of Exigent Circumstances and Public Safety Exceptions in Search and Seizure: State v. Simmons

Date: May 20, 2006

Affirmation of Exigent Circumstances and Public Safety Exceptions in Search and Seizure: State v. Simmons Introduction In the landmark case of State of Iowa v. Jesse Lee Simmons, 714 N.W.2d 264 (Iowa...

New Precedent on Handling Inconsistent Jury Verdicts: Clinton Physical Therapy Services v. John Deere Health Care

Date: May 13, 2006

New Precedent on Handling Inconsistent Jury Verdicts: Clinton Physical Therapy Services v. John Deere Health Care Introduction In the landmark case of Clinton Physical Therapy Services, P.C. v. John...

Affirmation of Parental Responsibility in Child Endangerment: State v. Leckington

Date: Apr 29, 2006

Affirmation of Parental Responsibility in Child Endangerment: State of Iowa v. Sandra Leckington Introduction In State of Iowa v. Sandra Joy Stella Leckington, the Supreme Court of Iowa addressed...

Affirmation of Second-Degree Murder Conviction and Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claims in STATE v. Dixie Lynn Shanahan

Date: Apr 8, 2006

Affirmation of Second-Degree Murder Conviction and Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claims STATE of Iowa v. Dixie Lynn Shanahan (712 N.W.2d 121) Supreme Court of Iowa, April 7, 2006 Introduction In...

Substantial Evidence Upholds Assault Element in Second-Degree Robbery: A Comprehensive Review of State v. Keeton

Date: Mar 4, 2006

Substantial Evidence Upholds Assault Element in Second-Degree Robbery: A Comprehensive Review of State v. Keeton (710 N.W.2d 531) Introduction State of Iowa v. Larry Joe Keeton, adjudicated by the...

Admissibility of Hearsay and Prior Acts in First-Degree Murder: State v. Newell

Date: Mar 2, 2006

Admissibility of Hearsay and Prior Acts in First-Degree Murder: State v. Newell Introduction In the landmark case of State of Iowa v. Jerry Lee Michael Newell, 710 N.W.2d 6 (Iowa 2006), the Supreme...

Affirmation of Conviction Due to Insufficient Prejudice in Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claim: Iowa Supreme Court in STATE v. Randolph Tate

Date: Feb 25, 2006

Affirmation of Conviction Due to Insufficient Prejudice in Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claim: Iowa Supreme Court in STATE of Iowa v. Randolph Louis Tate Introduction In the case of STATE of...

Supreme Court of Iowa Establishes Proper Application of Cumulative-Injury Rule in Workers' Compensation

Date: Feb 18, 2006

Supreme Court of Iowa Establishes Proper Application of Cumulative-Injury Rule in Workers' Compensation Introduction The case of Jerry Meyer v. IBP, Inc. (710 N.W.2d 213) adjudicated by the Supreme...

Reaffirming Standards for Prosecutorial Conduct and Ineffective Assistance Claims: Insights from STATE of Iowa v. Keith Carey

Date: Feb 11, 2006

Reaffirming Standards for Prosecutorial Conduct and Ineffective Assistance Claims: Insights from STATE of Iowa v. Keith Carey Introduction In STATE of Iowa v. Keith Carey, Sr., 709 N.W.2d 547 (Iowa...

Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Plea Agreements: A Comprehensive Analysis of State of Iowa v. Straw

Date: Feb 4, 2006

Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Plea Agreements: A Comprehensive Analysis of State of Iowa v. Straw Introduction The case of State of Iowa v. Cary Lee Straw, 709 N.W.2d 128 (Iowa 2006),...

Priority of Earning Capacity in Child Support Obligations: Iowa Supreme Court's Decision in In re Marriage of McKenzie

Date: Feb 4, 2006

Priority of Earning Capacity in Child Support Obligations: Iowa Supreme Court's Decision in In re Marriage of McKenzie Introduction The case of In re the Marriage of Timothy R. McKenzie and Dolores...

Jury Selection Standards in Municipal Tort Cases: Summy v. City of Des Moines

Date: Jan 14, 2006

Jury Selection Standards in Municipal Tort Cases: Summy v. City of Des Moines Introduction In the case of Richard C. Summy and Christine M. Summy v. City of Des Moines (708 N.W.2d 333), the Supreme...

Reaffirmation of Traditional Alimony in Iowa: In re the Marriage of Olson v. Olson

Date: Nov 9, 2005

Reaffirmation of Traditional Alimony in Iowa: In re the Marriage of Olson v. Olson Introduction The case of In re the Marriage of Porter V. Olson and Mary C. Olson (705 N.W.2d 312) centers on the...

Inclusion of Extra Earnings and Equitable Defenses in Child Support: Insights from Markey v. Carney

Date: Oct 15, 2005

Inclusion of Extra Earnings and Equitable Defenses in Child Support: Insights from Markey v. Carney Introduction Markey v. Carney, 705 N.W.2d 13 (Iowa 2005), is a pivotal case adjudicated by the...

Permanency Determination in Juvenile Cases: Analysis of In the Interest of A.A.G., S.M.G., and M.D.M.

Date: Oct 13, 2005

Permanency Determination in Juvenile Cases: Analysis of In the Interest of A.A.G., S.M.G., and M.D.M., Minor Children, D.D.S. (708 N.W.2d 85) Introduction The case of In the Interest of A.A.G.,...