Iowa courts resumed jury trials on February 1, 2021, with social distance, face covering, and other safety precautions in place to keep jurors, judges, attorneys, and other trial participants socially distant and compliant with state and federal guidelines. Jury trials were postponed when the Iowa Supreme Court issued an Order on November 10, 2020, suspending […]
Andrew Hall has been made the new Managing Partner of Grefe & Sidney, taking over from Mark Thomas, who served as Managing Partner for the past thirteen years. Hall has practiced with Grefe & Sidney since 1990 and in that time has developed extensive experience in insurance defense matters, including automobile personal injury, construction claims, […]
In June 2018, Plaintiff Jeffrey Simmermaker filed an action pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1983, against Jeffrey Renander individually and in his official capacity as the Cedar County Attorney, asserting malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, defamation of character, and violations of Simmermaker’s constitutional rights. In short, Plaintiff claimed that Renander had violated his constitutional rights “by […]
Plaintiff, Benskin, Inc. entered into a written loan agreement with West Bank to borrow money. On May 18, 2018, Benskin sued West Bank in a three-count petition alleging breach of (I) the 2007 contracts, (II) the 2006 promissory note, and (III) the implied duties of good faith and fair dealing. West Bank filed a motion […]
Andrew Hall and Tansha Clarke obtained a Pre-Answer dismissal for their client, a rental car company sued for vicarious liability. The case arose from a tragic motor vehicle accident involving a rental vehicle that hit the plaintiffs’ vehicle from behind. The driver of the rental vehicle died as a result of the accident. Plaintiffs filed […]
In a November 10, 2020 order, the Iowa Supreme Court postponed all jury trials until February 1, 2021. In rescheduling jury trials, the court will use the case priorities in a supervisory order issued on July 9, 2020. According to that supervisory order, the following matters will be given priority: emergency matters, criminal cases, Chapter […]
In a jury trial, Clark Mitchell obtained a defense verdict on behalf of his client Defendant Huckleberry Entertainment, LLC. The Des Moines County jury found in favor of Huckleberry Entertainment by denying the Plaintiff Kimberly Ransdell from recovering for injuries she sustained while operating a go-kart. Ransdell moved for a new trial arguing irregularity in […]
On May 6, 2020, following postponements of all jury and non-jury trials as a result of the pandemic, the Iowa Supreme Court created the Jumpstart Jury Trials Task Force. The Task Force was composed of judges, attorneys, and court personnel from across Iowa and in consultation with public health experts, county officials, and law enforcement […]
Andrew Hall and Aaron Lindebak obtained a summary judgment dismissal for a factory supervisor sued for gross negligence. The case arose from a catastrophic industrial accident that occurred as a result of a malfunctioning machine. In Iowa, the sole remedy for employees injured in work related accidents is to bring a worker’s compensation claim against […]
Ryleigh Keeney grew up in Miles, Iowa and graduated from Loras College in 2017 with degrees in accounting and finance. She received her J.D. from the University of Iowa in 2020 where she served as the Academic Director of the Moot Court Board, was a member of the Organization of Women Law Students and Staff, […]
