Iowa Federal Court Structure at a Glance
Court Locations in Iowa — 28 U.S.C. § 95
The district structure of Iowa is set by statute, quoted below from 28 U.S.C. § 95:
“Iowa is divided into two judicial districts to be known as the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa.”
Court locations under the statute:
Court for the Cedar Rapids Division shall be held at Cedar Rapids.
Court for the Eastern Division shall be held at Dubuque and Waterloo.
Court for the Western Division shall be held at Sioux City.
Court for the Central Division shall be held at Fort Dodge and Mason City.
Court for the Central Division shall be held at Des Moines.
Court for the Eastern Division shall be held at Keokuk.
Court for the Western Division shall be held at Council Bluffs.
Court for the Southern Division shall be held at Creston.
Court for the Davenport Division shall be held at Davenport.
Court for the Ottumwa Division shall be held at Ottumwa.
Federal White-Collar Cases in Iowa
Federal fraud offenses committed in Iowa are prosecuted in the district where the offense occurred. Jurisdiction is statutory: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.” (18 U.S.C. § 3231).
Circuit assignment is statutory as well. 28 U.S.C. § 41 provides:
“Eighth Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.”
The Eighth Circuit hears appeals from the district courts in Iowa. The district courts listed above maintain public websites with local rules, judge information, and case-location details; the federal court finder at uscourts.gov also covers Iowa.
The principal federal fraud statutes — mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), wire fraud (§ 1343), and bank fraud (§ 1344) — apply in every federal district. Bank fraud carries a statutory maximum of 30 years: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.” (18 U.S.C. § 1344).
This page is part of the White-Collar Case Law Research Desk reference library. Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 28 U.S.C. § 95 — Iowa (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Iowa is divided into two judicial districts to be known as the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa.”
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 — Number and composition of circuits (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Eighth Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 3231 — District courts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 1344 — Bank fraud (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”
White-Collar Federal Defense Reference by State
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