Iowa

Why Iowa Decision Allowing Gay Marriages Will Be Hard to Overturn

A decision by the Iowa Supreme Court last week striking down the state’s ban on same-sex marriages will be more difficult to overturn by voters than a similar court decision in California. The Iowa decision held gays’ right to marry was protected by the equal protection clause of the state…

Apr 6, 2009 11:48 AM CDT

Iowa Supreme Court Strikes Down Gay Marriage Ban

The Iowa Supreme Court has struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriages in an opinion that notes other state rulings at the forefront of civil rights. The court ruled the ban violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution, according to the Associated Press and the Des Moines…

Apr 3, 2009 2:32 PM CDT

Judge Explains Why He Allowed Reporter to Live Blog Federal Criminal Trial

U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett of Sioux City, Iowa, is a tech-savvy judge in a district with high-tech courtrooms. When he was a practicing lawyer in a small law firm, Bennett was willing to pay an “outrageously expensive” amount to make his office possibly the first in the state to…

Jan 16, 2009 10:46 PM CST

Beaten Hooters Waitress Wins Unemployment Benefits

The Hooters employment manual doesn’t expressly state that waitresses at the restaurant can’t work with bruises and a black eye. But it does say that the women hired to work in revealing uniforms as so-called Hooters girls at the national chain must have a glamorous appearance and strive for the…

Jan 6, 2009 12:34 AM CST

Iowa High Court Mulls Constitutional Right to Gay Marriage

The Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday on whether a state law barring gay marriages violates the state constitution. Dennis Johnson, the lawyer for gay couples challenging the ban, said the law violates the right to equal treatment and due process guaranteed by the Iowa Constitution, the New…

Dec 10, 2008 5:16 PM CST

After Major ICE Raid, Iowa Hits Kosher Meat Plant With $10M in Labor Fines

A kosher meatpacking plant in Iowa has been hit with not quite $10 million in fines by the state labor commission for alleged violation of wage laws after a May raid on the plant by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in which about 390 people were arrested. At…

Oct 29, 2008 6:58 PM CDT

Owner, Managers of Iowa Meat Plant Face 9,311 Child Labor Charges

More than 9,000 misdemeanor child labor charges were filed today (PDF) by the Iowa attorney general’s office against the owner and managers of a kosher meatpacking plant in Postville that was the site of a huge immigration raid earlier this year. The 9,311 violations involve 32 workers at Agriprocessors who…

Sep 9, 2008 7:15 PM CDT

Judge Won’t Sanction Prosecutor for Making PD Do Unnecessary Work

A judge in Ames, Iowa, has refused to sanction the county prosecutor’s office for making a public defender do unnecessary work. Assistant Public Defender Annette Boehlje had asked for sanctions because she spent several hours preparing for her client’s trial before learning the Story County prosecutor had decided to drop…

Aug 29, 2008 3:31 PM CDT

Hundreds Held in Another Big ICE Raid

In another signpost of stepped-up immigration enforcement, federal agents raided a Mississippi factory yesterday, detaining at least 350 workers who allegedly are in the country illegally. “The raid follows a similar large-scale immigration operation at a meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa, in May when nearly 400 workers were detained,” reports…

Aug 26, 2008 5:34 PM CDT

Labor Lawyer Puts ‘Missing’ Iowa Gov. on Milk Carton

Fake milk carton ads featuring a “Missing” Gov. Chet Culver are circulating through Iowa with this message: “Have you seen me?” “Description: Democratic Governor with alleged loyalty to Iowa workers and Labor. … Approach With Caution: May have developed amnesia and is known to throw fits when reminded of his…

Jul 8, 2008 1:52 PM CDT

Arrested Iowa Attorney Jailed in Bank Fraud Case

An Iowa attorney and judge who is facing federal charges in an alleged bank fraud scheme has been jailed pending his trial. Kyle David Williamson, 41, offered to admit himself to a psychiatric hospital, but Magistrate Judge Thomas Shields of the Southern District of Iowa said he wasn’t satisfied that…

Jun 26, 2008 5:13 PM CDT

Cedar Rapids Law Firm Opens Offices in Nearby Middle School

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, law firm Simmons Perrine, forced to shut its doors in the devastating floods that hit the city, is reopening this week in a middle school in the neighboring town of Mount Vernon. The law firm expects to take over much of the west wing of the middle…

Jun 18, 2008 2:49 PM CDT

Largest-Ever ICE Raid Nets 390 at Iowa Meatpacking Plant

What officials say is the largest immigration raid ever conducted in the U.S. resulted in the arrest of 390 people yesterday at a kosher meatpacking plant in Iowa. The raid, which was sparked by claims of rampant identity fraud, was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and involved 16…

May 13, 2008 5:29 PM CDT

Rebuke for Lawyer Who Forged Judge’s Signature to Avoid 2nd Trip

An Iowa lawyer who improvised the signature of a judge who forgot to sign a document has received a public reprimand from the Iowa Supreme Court. Lawyer Mark Newman of Forest City had to drive to another town to get a judge’s signature on two documents, Radio Iowa reports in…

May 5, 2008 2:19 PM CDT

House Calls

Looking to land that first job? In a practice-group rut? Or do you want to change careers entirely? If you’re a University of Iowa College of Law grad, help is on the way.

May 1, 2008 1:01 PM CDT