In this year’s session, the Iowa Legislature passed many laws relevant to law enforcement and the justice system. These laws went into effect no later than this July. Officers are responsible for knowing and understanding the changes that relate to the execution of their duties.
Some of these laws create new criminal offenses covering specific fact scenarios. For example:
Committing an assault against a person protected by a protective order against the assaulter.
Conspiring with others to steal from a retail establishment.
Entering a business or dwelling with others to damage or remove property.
Additionally, new laws impact certain administrative tasks that law enforcement officers regularly encounter. For example:
Additional fingerprinting requirements have been created for more criminal offenses.
Bail determinations for defendants that have committed violent offenses against law enforcement officers have been restricted.
Iowa Law Enforcement Academy certification requirements have been changed for officers moving between agencies.
Some of the other new laws include mandates for school districts to supply security based on the size of the district, restrictions on the sale of consumable hemp products, and limitations on municipal use of automated traffic systems for the issuance of citations. One of the new bills also provides officers the right to petition a district court to intervene in a prosecutor’s decision to place an officer on a Brady-Giglio list.
Interested in learning more?
PLS offers Iowa law enforcement officers an online legislative update lesson each year and as well as regular, Iowa-specific caselaw update training.
Comentarios