Des Moines, October 7, 2014– On Wednesday and Thursday, October 15 and 16, the Iowa Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments at the University of Iowa Law School's Levitt Auditorium, room 295, in the Boyd Law Building, Melrose Avenue and Byington Road. The oral arguments are open to the public, although seating is limited.
The nine-member court of appeals decides cases with randomly selected panels of three judges. Each of the three panels will hear three cases both days. The first case begins at 9:10 a.m. each day. A complete schedule of the 18 arguments is on the Judicial Branch website at http://www.iowacourts.gov/About_the_Courts/Court_of_Appeals/Oral_Argument_Schedule/
The Iowa Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court. It reviews appeals from trial court decisions that the supreme court has transferred to the court of appeals. A decision of the Iowa Court of Appeals is final unless reviewed by the Iowa Supreme Court on grant of further review. The majority of appeals filed in Iowa are decided by the court of appeals.
As an appellate court, the Iowa Court of Appeals does not preside over trials. Court of appeals proceedings do not involve witnesses, juries, new evidence, or court reporters. Instead, the court reviews the written record of the trial court to determine whether any significant legal errors occurred.
The court of appeals decides cases with randomly selected panels of three judges that change in composition every three months. Cases are assigned for opinion writing randomly in equal numbers to each judge on the court. Each judge on the court authors about 120 opinions per year. This figure does not include dissents and special concurrences each judge might write. In addition, each judge reviews cases decided by the other panels of the court.
Note to News Media
News media are invited to attend the oral arguments. Court rules apply regarding still camera, video camera, audio recording devices, and other electronic devices used during the oral arguments. Information on expanded media coverage is available on the Iowa Judicial Branch Website at http://www.iowacourts.gov/For_the_Media/Expanded_News_Media_Coverage/
The Iowa Court Rules regarding cameras and other electronic devices in courtrooms are on the Iowa Legislature website at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/ACO/CourtRulesChapter/06-30-2014.25.pdf Internet Explorer 9 or higher is required to view this page of the Iowa Legislature website. Mozilla, Firefox, or Google Chrome will also work.
For more information about the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Judicial Branch, visit the judicial branch website at www.iowacourts.gov.
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