Visit a Courthouse
Do you want
to learn more about the courts? We encourage
you to visit a courthouse and watch your courts at work.
There is a
courthouse in every county. County
courthouses are used for trial court proceedings. As a general rule most trials and hearings are open to the public. Some types of hearings are confidential; when
in doubt check with a court official about attending a hearing. In addition, in many counties court is in
session only one day every week or two weeks.
The Judicial
Branch Building, located near the State Capitol in Des Moines, houses the
state's two appellate courts—the Iowa Supreme Court and the Iowa Court of
Appeals. Appellate court proceedings,
called oral arguments, are always open to the public. Appellate court schedules are posted on this site under the
supreme court section and the court of appeals section.
When
attending court proceedings, please show respect for others and for the work of
the court. Please be quiet, turn off
pagers and cell phones, and refrain from behavior that might disrupt the
proceedings or distract court participants.
Recording proceedings and taking photographs are prohibited.
