Iowa
State of Iowa v. Lawrence George Canady III
In this case, the Iowa Supreme Court considered when rap lyrics are admissible evidence in criminal trials. The State sought further review of a court of appeals decision which reversed the defendant's criminal convictions and remanded for a trial based on errors in the admission of evidence. Together with the Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project and the ACLU of Iowa, the State Supreme Court Initiative filed an amicus brief arguing that such evidence should usually be excluded because it is rarely probative and yet creates a high risk of prejudice to the defendant. The Iowa Supreme Court ultimately reversed the Court of Appeals decision, but for narrow and fact-specific reasons. And the Iowa Supreme Court acknowledged that, in cases not involving the peculiar facts of Canady's case, other courts had expressed concerns about the risk that a jury will unfairly use rap lyrics and music as evidence of a defendant's guilt.
Status: Closed
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9 Iowa Cases
Iowa
May 2022
LGBTQ Rights
Vroegh v. Iowa Department of Corrections
The ÀÏÊìÅ®ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû of Iowa filed a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission against The Iowa Department of Corrections for denying a nurse at the facility use of the restrooms and locker rooms that align with his gender identity and necessary medical treatment because he is transgender. The complaint was co-filed with the ACLU and cooperating attorney Melissa Hasso with the Sherinian & Hasso Law Firm in West Des Moines.
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Iowa
May 2022
LGBTQ Rights
Vroegh v. Iowa Department of Corrections
The ÀÏÊìÅ®ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû of Iowa filed a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission against The Iowa Department of Corrections for denying a nurse at the facility use of the restrooms and locker rooms that align with his gender identity and necessary medical treatment because he is transgender. The complaint was co-filed with the ACLU and cooperating attorney Melissa Hasso with the Sherinian & Hasso Law Firm in West Des Moines.
Iowa
Mar 2019
LGBTQ Rights
Good v. Iowa Dept. of Human Services
EerieAnna Good and Carol Beal are two women whose medical providers determined that surgery was medically necessary to treat their gender dysphoria, but the Iowa Department of Human Services denied them Medicaid coverage for the surgery. In March 2019, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the Department’s ban on coverage violated the Iowa Civil Rights Act and affirmed the district court’s ruling that EerieAnna and Carol are entitled to coverage for the gender affirming surgery they need.
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Iowa
Mar 2019
LGBTQ Rights
Good v. Iowa Dept. of Human Services
EerieAnna Good and Carol Beal are two women whose medical providers determined that surgery was medically necessary to treat their gender dysphoria, but the Iowa Department of Human Services denied them Medicaid coverage for the surgery. In March 2019, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the Department’s ban on coverage violated the Iowa Civil Rights Act and affirmed the district court’s ruling that EerieAnna and Carol are entitled to coverage for the gender affirming surgery they need.
Iowa
May 2012
LGBTQ Rights
Gartner v. Iowa Department of Health
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Iowa
May 2012
LGBTQ Rights