Iowa Court of Appeals Iowa Judicial Branch Building 1111 East Court Avenue Des Moines, IA 50319   515/281-5221 (Reception) 515/281-5911 (Clerk of Court)

The Iowa Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court. It reviews appeals from trial court decisions that have been transferred to the court of appeals by the supreme court. A decision of the Iowa Court of Appeals is final unless reviewed by the Iowa Supreme Court on grant of further review. Some opinions of the Iowa Court of Appeals are published and become precedent for subsequent cases. The majority of appeals filed in Iowa are decided by the Court of Appeals.

As an appellate court, the Iowa Court of Appeals does not preside over trials. The court of appeals proceedings do not involve witnesses, juries, new evidence, or court reporters. Instead, the court reviews the written record of the trial court to determine whether any significant legal errors occurred.  

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