2014 Basic Skills Course Presented by the Iowa Bar Review School and The Iowa State Bar Association. Monday September 22, 2014 Civil Procedure 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Materials by Barry A. Lindahl City of Dubuque City Attorney's Office 300 Main St., Suite 330 Dubuque, IA 52001-6946 Phone: (563) 583-4113 CIVIL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Barry A. Lindahl, Esq. Dubuque April 2014 1 Contents Page I. OVERVIEW: IOWA JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT ........................................................ 5 A. Judicial Branch, In General .................................................................................... 5 B. Iowa District Court ................................................................................................. 5 C. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals ..................................................................... 8 D. Arbitration Proceedings .......................................................................................... 9 E. Judicial Review of Administrative Agency Action ................................................. 9 F. Declaratory Judgments ............................................................................................ 9 G. Time Standards for Case Processing ...................................................................... 10 II. PROPER COURT ............................................................................................................. 10 A. Jurisdiction of the Subject Matter ........................................................................... 11 B. Venue ..................................................................................................................... 13 C. Jurisdiction Over the Defendant ............................................................................. 17 III. COMMENCEMENT OF ACTIONS; SERVICE OF PROCESS AND OTHER PAPERS ............................................................................... 25 A. Commencement of Actions .................................................................................... 25 B. Statutes of Limitations……………………………………………………………..30 C. Service of Process ................................................................................................... 42 D. Service Provisions .................................................................................................. 43 E. Time After Service for Motion or Answer .............................................................. 45 F. Immunity from Service ........................................................................................... 46 G. Service and Filing of Papers After Commencement ............................................... 46 IV. APPEARANCES; MOTIONS ........................................................................................ 47 A. Appearances ........................................................................................................... 47 B. Motions ................................................................................................................... 49 V. PLEADINGS ..................................................................................................................... 53 A. In General ............................................................................................................... 53 B. The Petition ............................................................................................................ 56 C. The Answer ............................................................................................................ 58 D. The Reply ............................................................................................................... 59 E. Amendments ........................................................................................................... 59 F. Supplemental Pleadings .......................................................................................... 62 G. Demand for Jury Trial ............................................................................................ 62 VI. COMPARATIVE FAULT .............................................................................................. 63 A. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 63 2 B. Goetzman v. Wichern .............................................................................................. 63 C. The Iowa Comparative Fault Act ............................................................................ 64 VII. PARTIES; CLAIMS ...................................................................................................... 73 A. Standing ................................................................................................................. 73 B. Real Parties in Interest; Who May be Sued ............................................................ 74 C. Indispensable Parties .............................................................................................. 75 D. Joinder of Parties Plaintiff and Defendant .............................................................. 76 E. Joinder of Claims .................................................................................................... 76 F. Cross-Claim Against Co-Party ................................................................................ 76 G. Impleading .............................................................................................................. 71 H. Interpleader............................................................................................................. 77 I. Counterclaims .......................................................................................................... 77 J. Intervention .............................................................................................................. 78 K. Class Actions .......................................................................................................... 79 VIII. JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS; SUMMARY JUDGMENT............................................................................................. 82 A. Judgment on the Pleadings ..................................................................................... 82 B. Summary Judgment ................................................................................................ 83 IX. DEFAULT JUDGMENT ................................................................................................ 84 X. PRETRIAL CONFERENCES ......................................................................................... 85 A. In General ............................................................................................................... 85 B. Sanctions ................................................................................................................ 85 C. Pretrial Order .......................................................................................................... 85 XI. DISCOVERY; PERPETUATION OF TESTIMONY .................................................. 87 A. General Principles .................................................................................................. 87 B. Depositions on Oral Examination ........................................................................... 100 C. Depositions on Written Interrogatories ................................................................... 101 D. Interrogatories ........................................................................................................ 101 E. Physical or Mental Examination ............................................................................. 103 F. Production of Books and Documents ...................................................................... 104 G. Inspection of Land and Other Property................................................................... 105 H. Requests for Admissions ........................................................................................ 105 I. Subpoenas……………………………………………………………………….....106 J. Sanctions ................................................................................................................ 110 K. Perpetuation of Testimony ...................................................................................... 113 L. Duty to Preserve Evidence; Spoliation of Evidence.……………………………....114 XII. DISMISSAL; TRIAL MOTIONS; POST-TRIAL MOTIONS .................................. 114 A. Dismissal ................................................................................................................ 114 3 B. Trial Motions .......................................................................................................... 116 C. Posttrial Motions..................................................................................................... 118 XIII. RES JUDICATA\PRECLUSION ................................................................................ 121 A. Res Judicata, In General ......................................................................................... 121 B. Bar and Merger; Claim Preclusion ......................................................................... 121 C. Collateral Estoppel; Issue Preclusion ...................................................................... 126 4 I. OVERVIEW: IOWA JUDICIAL BRANCH. A. Judicial Branch, In General. The Iowa Judicial Branch comprises the following: supreme court; court of appeals; district court; the clerks of all of the courts of the state;