Orders - 2024 Archive

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order adopting new Iowa Court Rule 22.37—Judicial Officer Medical Leave.

Chief Justice Christensen has filed an order approving appointment of new members to the Iowa Access to Justice Commission and re-appointment of certain members to their second terms on the Commission.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order establishing the Judicial Officer Mentorship Program, which will begin January 1, 2025.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order establishing and appointing members to Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure Review Task Force.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order approving amendments to chapters 31, 34, 37, 38, 42, and 45 in Division III, Professional Regulation, of the Iowa Court Rules.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order adopting Chapter 14 Iowa Rules of Electronic Search Warrant Procedure, a new chapter to be added to the Iowa Court Rules. The new rules are temporarily adopted effective November 4, 2024, and will take permanent effect subject to legislative council review consistent with the provisions of 2017 Iowa Acts, chapter 37, section 9 and Iowa Code section 602.4202.

The Chief Justice signed an order adopting amendments to Iowa Rule of Criminal Procedure 2.4(7)(c), regarding access to minutes of testimony in criminal cases. The amended rule is temporarily adopted effective October 30, 2024, and will take permanent effect subject to legislative council review consistent with the provisions of Iowa Code section 602.4202.

The Chief Justice signed an order adopting amendments to the Chapter 2 Iowa Rules of Criminal Procedure. The amendments are predominately nonsubstantive, but there are some minor substantive changes that are outlined in the order. The amended rules are temporarily adopted effective October 30, 2024, and will take permanent effect subject to legislative council review consistent with the provisions of Iowa Code section 602.4202.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order approving updates to the family law forms for dissolutions of marriage with children in Iowa Court Rule 17.200.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order appointing Kathleen Law to the Iowa Access to Justice Commission.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order requesting public comment on proposed Iowa Rules of Electronic Search Warrant Procedure from the Electronic Search Warrants Advisory Committee. The deadline for submitting public comments is 4:30 p.m. on Monday, September 2, 2024.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed a supervisory order regarding courthouse security.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order establishing and appointing members to the 2024 Iowa Child Support Guidelines Review Committee. The Federal Family Support Act of 1988 requires that every four years each state must review its child support guidelines “to ensure that their application results in the determination of appropriate child support award amounts.” The committee will complete its work and submit a final report to the court on or before April 1, 2025.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order appointing Nickole Miller to the Iowa Judicial Branch Task Force on Expedited Appeals in Termination of Parental Rights and Children in Need of Assistance Cases.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order amending chapter 6 of the Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure. The amendments address citations in briefs to transcripts and exhibits, providing notice to the general assembly of appeals involving constitutional questions, and filing of amicus briefs by members of the general assembly. Additionally, a new chart, “Chart D,” which provides examples of citations for briefs has been added to the appellate rules.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order establishing and appointing members to the Iowa Judicial Branch Task Force on Expedited Appeals in Termination of Parental Rights and Children in Need of Assistance Cases.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order approving amendments to chapter 47 of the Iowa Court Rules regarding court interpreters and translators.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order adopting amendments to chapter 13 of the Iowa Court Rules changing all references from “substance-related disorders” to “substance use disorders” to conform with statutory changes to the phrasing. The chapter 12 and 13 forms have also been revised to reflect these changes and to correct typographical errors. The changes to the rules and forms are subject to legislative council review and become effective July 1, 2024.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order revising the appellate procedure timelines and charts in chapter 6 of the Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure. The timeline and charts were updated in correlation with the recent amendments to chapter 6. They will go into effect April 1, 2024. 

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order creating the Iowa Judicial Branch Court Navigators Pilot Project Task Force and appointing members to the task force.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order updating “substance abuse” and “substance-related disorder” phrases in the Iowa Court Rules to “substance use disorder” as now used in the Iowa Code.