Iowa Court Case Lookup

The Court is a judicial system set up to resolve disputes impartially between two opposing parties. A Court case in Iowa includes all forms of contract disputes, family disagreements, criminal misdeeds, violations, landed property disputes, employment issues, tenancy controversies, etc. In Iowa, all cases begin at the District Courts and may proceed to the Supreme Court depending on the peculiarities of the case. The Iowa court case lookup process helps members of the public to obtain access to court case information generated in the course of judicial proceedings.

In Iowa, there are two Federal District Courts, two Federal Bankruptcy Courts, one Court of Appeals, one Supreme Court, and trial courts that serve the judicial needs of the residents. Cases are filed based on the courts with jurisdiction over such matters. The different Courthouses and their jurisdictions are listed below:

Federal District Courts, which include the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. These courts preside over both civil and criminal cases in the north and south regions of Iowa, respectively. They are courts with general jurisdiction
Federal Bankruptcy Courts consist of the United States bankruptcy court, the Northern District of Iowa, and the United States bankruptcy court, the Southern District of Iowa. These courts handle bankruptcy cases in both regions of Iowa
Trial courts such as the Iowa District Courts found in every County and the Iowa Juvenile court. The district courts have general jurisdiction over civil, criminal, juvenile, and probate matters in Iowa, while the juvenile court has special jurisdiction to resolve matters involving child support and protection.
Iowa Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court that reviews appeals from the trial courts and other cases assigned by the supreme court.
Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in Iowa and is called the court of last resort. It has supervisory authority over all other courts and makes final decisions regarding appeals. In Iowa, all appeals are filed with the state supreme court. The court has the right to decide to review the case or send it to the Iowa Court of Appeals for review.

Are Court Cases Public Record in Iowa?

Yes, court cases are public records in Iowa. The Iowa Judicial Branch in a bid to maintain openness and transparency for Iowans allows members of the public access to court records following Chapter 22 of the Iowa Code. Moreover, records protected by law or court orders are sealed from public inspection. These exemptions to court records accessible by the public include but are not limited to:

Hospital records, medical records, and professional counseling records presented during the trial
Trade secrets protected by law
Information on Attorneys that represent the state
Criminal files especially those regarding juveniles
Military confidential records
Records from correctional facilities detrimental to the society
Legal proceedings made by or against public bodies
Appraisal information regarding the sale, lease, or purchase of personal property.

How to Conduct an Iowa Court Case Lookup

Individuals with an interest in looking up Iowa court cases can do so by contacting the courthouses that handled the case. This can be done physically or virtually, depending on the options provided by the court. Requests for these records can be made verbally or in writing to the court responsible for maintaining such records.

The Electronic Documents Management System (EDMS) is the case management system authorized by the Iowa judicial branch for filing, tracking, and serving court cases and documents. It is an online option for interested members of the public to access court records.

In Iowa, there are other virtual channels through which these requests can be made depending on the type of case. They include:

Requests by the media: All requests for records and data by the media, irrespective of the type of record, can be made to the Judicial Branch Communications Director at foia.media@iowacourts.gov.
District court case records: For district (trial) court case records requests are to be made to the clerk of court office in the county where the case is filed. The requester can check the District Court directory for information on the various district courts available in Iowa
Iowa Supreme Court and Court of Appeals case records: Requests for Iowa Supreme Court and Court of Appeals case records must be made to the Clerk of the Iowa Supreme Court at foia.appellate@iowacourts.gov.
Administrative records: Judicial branch administrative records and judicial branch electronic data requests must be made to the State Court Administrator at foia.admin@iowacourts.gov.

Also, the requester can make use of self-service tools provided by the court such as Iowa Courts Online Search or the Iowa court eFile system, which are accessible online and via the public access terminals placed in every courthouse, to obtain the court case records. There are fees attached to getting copies of court cases and they usually vary from county to county or among the courts and type of record requested.

Can I Get Iowa Court Case Documents Online?

Yes. Interested individuals can access Iowa Court Case documents online provided those records are not sealed or protected by law. The Iowa Courts online Search and the Iowa Court eFile system are both online platforms provided by the judicial branch for members of the public to view court case records. PACER can also be used by requesters to access these records; the North and South regions of Iowa both have separate PACER addresses. The inquirer must be careful to use the appropriate page when searching. It is important to note that there are charges attached to getting copies of these records and vary depending on the number of pages and staff hours utilized.

The inquirer must have the name of the parties involved in the case or case number to ease the search process. There are also third-party websites through which one can get Iowa Court Case documents online but the information provided is not always reliable and there are charges attached to using such websites.

How to Conduct an Iowa Court Search by Name

To conduct an Iowa Court Case search by name, the inquirer must first have access to the full name of the parties involved in the case. The type of case and county in which the case was filed are also important information needed.

With this information, the inquirer can visit the court in which the case was filed in person and make use of the search options provided to access the records. There are also online platforms provided by appropriate courts for interested persons to search with. Individuals can also send request emails containing the name of the parties involved and allow the court staff to search for a cost.

What is a Court Case Number?

A court case number is a unique number assigned to a case by the court clerk. It is used to distinguish between cases filed under the court. It usually carries important information regarding a case if interpreted properly. They are usually made up of numbers, letters, and characters that represent different information about a case. The numbers are usually assigned based on the county in which the case was filed, the type of case, the year of filing, and the order in which it was filed.

How to Conduct a Case Number Search in Iowa

Individuals who wish to conduct a case number search in Iowa can do so physically at the court clerk's office in the county where such a case was filed or online using authorized websites such as PACER, EDMS, etc. The inquirer will be required to provide the correct case number assigned to the case to access the records. An inquirer can also send a mail to the appropriate court with the correct case number requesting records under that case number at a fee.

How to Remove Court Cases From Public Record in Iowa

Removing court cases from public records in Iowa involves two processes; sealing or expungement of records.

Sealing of records is a process that hides court records from public access but makes them accessible to government agencies and other individuals permitted by law. Expungement on the other hand erases all court records filed under an individual's name like they never existed. Juvenile criminal cases are usually sealed once the offender turns 18 years old and automatically expunged at age 21.

Since 2016, Iowa Expungement Laws have allowed the expungement of some Court records. For instance, to seal a juvenile record in Iowa, that individual must meet certain criteria:

18 years of age
2 years have passed since the end of the previous sentence
No additional or pending charges
Must not have youthful offender status attached to records

All applications for the sealing of records must be submitted in writing to the court that handled the case for perusal and approval.

Meanwhile, to expunge an adult criminal record, the offender must ensure they are eligible by law before applying. An individual is eligible if a period of 180 days has passed after being acquitted from a previous sentence, charges were dismissed or the judge deferred judgment. Also, such a person must have satisfied all terms of previous convictions including paying all fines and restitutions required.

If an individual has confirmed eligibility, the next step is to file a written application to expunge court records with the court that originally gave the judgment. The court will review the application and either grant or deny the petition. If the court grants an expungement petition, all court records included in the petition will be considered non-existent. It is important to note that in Iowa, expungement does not mean the destruction of such court records as those records will still be accessible to law enforcement agencies, the court, and prosecutors.

How to Check a Court Case Status in Iowa

To check a court case status in Iowa, individuals can physically visit the court in which the case was filed and check with the court clerk's office. They will need to provide the case number or name of the parties involved in the case to be able to check the status of the case. There are also online platforms provided by the court through which the status of a court case can be accessed e.g PACER or Iowa Courts Online Search. There is also the option of obtaining this information via mail from the court with possession of such records.

How to Find Supreme Court Decisions in Iowa

Supreme Court decisions or Opinions can be accessed by members of the public in Iowa. These decisions can be assessed online using the authorized website provided by the court. Archives of opinion records dating as far back as 2003 are available to be accessed on the Iowa supreme court website. These opinion records can also be obtained from the Supreme Court Clerk physically at the location:

Iowa Judicial Branch Building
1111 East Court Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 348-4700 (Clerk of Court)

What Percentage of Court Cases Go to Trial in Iowa?

Data from the Iowa Judicial Branch states that 69.3 percent of Iowa's 18,059 felony cases in 2017 were resolved through a guilty plea, while only 1.2 percent were decided through a jury trial. For serious and aggravated misdemeanors, 81.6 percent of the 47,779 cases were resolved through a guilty plea while just 0.04 percent (or 190) were decided by jury trial.

How Long Does a Court Case Last in Iowa?

The length of court cases in Iowa is not fixed but depends on the complexities of the case. Less complex cases are resolved in a shorter time as opposed to more complex ones. Length of court cases can span from three days to months or years as the case may be.

How to File a Case in Court in Iowa

When filing a case in Iowa, the plaintiff, petitioner, or prosecutor must consider jurisdiction and venue first. Jurisdiction refers to the authority of a court to hear and resolve cases while venue refers to the geographical location where the case is filed. The individual filing the complaint must do so at the appropriate court and county to avoid the dismissal of the case. Iowa is divided into the Southern and Northern Districts and has counties registered under each district. The Filing procedure is similar in both districts.

To file a complaint, the individual must first complete a complaint form and mail the original with proof of filing fee paid to the Court Clerk's Office. The cost of filing a complaint in the federal District Court is about $402. The fee can be made via checks, money orders, debit or credit card payment. Individuals who are unable to financially meet the filing cost can request the court to file the case without prepayment of charges. Such a case is said to proceed in forma pauperis. The individual filing a case is expected to serve the defendant copies of the petition and submit proof of service to the court within a stipulated period and submit proof of service to the court clerk's office.

It is important to note that all complaint forms, legal documents, and fees are to be mailed to the appropriate divisional offices. The addresses of the Clerks of Court for South Iowa are listed below:

Central Division Address:
Clerk of Court
123 East Walnut Street
Room 300
Des Moines, IA 50309

Eastern Division Address:
Clerk of Court
131 East 4th Street
Suite 150
Davenport, IA 52801
Phone: (563) 884-7607

Western Division Address:
Clerk of Court
2146 27th Avenue
Room 600
Council Bluffs, IA 51501

The addresses of the Clerks of Court for North Iowa are listed below:

In Cedar Rapids:
Clerk of Court
United States District Court
Northern District of Iowa
111 7th Avenue SE
Box 12
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

In Sioux City:
Clerk of Court
United States District Court
Northern District of Iowa
320 6th Street
Room 301
Sioux City, IA 51101

What Does It Mean if a Court Case Was Resolved Before the Trial Date?

If a court case is resolved before the trial date, it means the court or parties involved in the case closed the case without a trial process. Once a case has been resolved before trial, the case is deemed closed and no further litigation will take place. This usually happens if the parties involved in a civil case make use of alternative resolution methods such as:

Mediation: where an unbiased third party - a court-appointed mediator - helps both parties reach a compromise.
Arbitration: Here an arbitrator is contracted for a fee to hear both parties and decide on the case with more relaxed terms than in a jury trial.

If a defendant accused of violating the law accepts a plea bargain, i.e., pleads guilty and accepts a more lenient sentence, there would be no need for trial. Also, a party or both parties can request for the filed case to be dismissed before the trial date if false evidence was used to file the case or if other fraudulent misinformation is involved. A court can also decide to dismiss a case before the trial date depending on the peculiarity of the case and the decision of the judge.