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| Iowa Court Records- Listed below is contact information and/or links to websites containing resources to help in a search for Iowa court records. | |||
| About Iowa's Court Systems and Records | |||
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The motto of Iowa’s judicial branch is: “Administering justice under the law equally to all persons.” That goal is pursued by some 1,900 judges and court employees who operate within a system with an annual budget of about $130 million. Iowa's Supreme Court The Iowa Supreme Court is, as are most such courts, an appellate court. It reviews decisions of the trial courts in which appeals have been made and allowed. There are no trials, no juries and no witnesses or new evidence. Rather, the court reaches its decision after reviewing the official records of prior proceedings, reading briefs submitted by the attorneys for each side and hearing oral arguments. The court’s role is to either affirm decisions or to overturn them if significant legal errors have occurred. Iowa’s Supreme Court is composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Marsha K. Ternus. The court convenes in the Iowa Judicial Branch Building at 1111 East Court Ave. in the capital city of Des Moines. As the court of last resort for Iowa, the Supreme Court’s decisions are binding upon all other courts in the state. The Supreme Court also has sole power to admit persons to practice as attorneys in Iowa, to make rules for the supervision of attorney conduct, and to discipline attorneys who violate those rules. The court is also responsible for promulgating the rules of procedure and practice used throughout the Iowa court system. Finally, the Supreme Court is the supervisory and administrative body for the entire judicial branch of the state’s government. The Supreme Court docket, and dockets of other Iowa courts, can be searched online in both simple and complex fashions, the latter for a fee. The Supreme Court’s oral arguments calendar also is available online, and archived videos of those oral arguments are made available about a week after the hearing date. Supreme Court orders and opinions also are readily accessible. Iowa's Court of Appeals The Iowa Court of Appeals is the state’s intermediate appellate court. It reviews appeals from trial court decisions that have been transferred to its jurisdiction by the state Supreme Court. A decision by the Iowa Court of Appeals is considered final unless reviewed by the Iowa Supreme Court on grant of further review. Some opinions of the Court of Appeals are published and become precedent to be used in subsequent cases. Most appeals in Iowa are decided by the Iowa Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals has nine judges who are appointed to their posts by the governor after being presented along with other candidates by the State Judicial Nominating Commission. The court chooses from among its peers a chief judge, currently Rosemary Shaw Sackett, to serve in that role for two years. Much like the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals’ oral argument schedule and opinions are accessible online. Iowa's District Court System Iowa’s District Court system is extensive and serves as the court of general jurisdiction in all matters civil, criminal, juvenile and probate. The state is divided into eight judicial districts; each serves several of the state’s 99 counties. The services provided by these courts are many and varied. Judicial magistrates serve primarily within their county of residence, but may hear cases in other counties upon order of the district chief judge. Magistrates serve four-year terms and are appointed by county magistrate appointing commissions. Although not required by law to be attorneys, most magistrates are licensed lawyers nonetheless. They have jurisdiction over simple misdemeanors, including scheduled violations, county and municipal infractions and small claims. Magistrates can issue search warrants, conduct preliminary hearings and hear certain involuntary hospitalization matters. The District Court’s associate juvenile judges have a jurisdiction that is limited to juvenile court matters. They can issue orders, findings and decisions in juvenile cases, including delinquency, child in need of assistance and termination of parental rights. Associate juvenile judges also preside over adoptions. They are appointed by the district judges from a slate of nominees screened by the county magistrate appointing commission. Associate probate judges also have very limited jurisdiction. They have the authority to audit accounts and perform judicial duties in probate as prescribed by the chief judge. Associate probate judges are appointed to six-year terms by the district judges in the same manner of nomination as the juvenile judges. District associate judges have the jurisdiction of the magistrates plus the authority to hear serious and aggravated misdemeanor cases, civil suits in which the amount in controversy is no more than $10,000 and juvenile cases when the judge is sitting as a juvenile judge. These judges are appointed to six-year terms in the same fashion as the aforementioned associate judges. Finally, district judges have the authority to hear any type of case brought before the district. Typically they hear a variety of cases, including probate, felony criminal trials, dissolution of marriages and approval of adoptions, disputes involving state administrative agencies, juvenile matters and other business. Many district judges travel extensively to ensure that Iowa’s counties have a regular schedule of judicial services. They are appointed to their posts by the governor after being nominated by the judicial election district nominating commission. Their term in office is six years. Numerous online resources exist for citizens who find themselves headed to District Court. Among the more useful are the Criminal Statutes Summary Chart, which was revised in mid-2007 and shows the potential penalties for each type of offense, and the state’s uniform bond schedule, listing how much it’s likely to cost in order to be released on bail, depending on the type of offense committed. Online resources for District Court include a docket search and a utility through which citizens headed to court can pay their fines online. |
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| IA Court Web Sites | |||
| Iowa
Supreme Court United States District Court - Northern District of Iowa United States District Court - Southern District of Iowa United States Southern Bankruptcy Court United States Bankruptcy Court - Northern District of Iowa Iowa Judicial Branch Districts - Links to each district and map of districts and counties. Iowa Courts Self-Help - Find help for representing yourself in court. Iowa Pay Fines Online - Pay your court fines online and view record updates. Iowa Courts Online - Search online docket records, pay fines online and view professional regulations online. Iowa Court Rules and Forms - Download court rules and court forms. Iowa Appellate Court Records - Search online docket records for the appellate courts of Iowa. |
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| Iowa's County Courthouses, addresses and phone numbers | |||
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