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•Iowa Supreme Court issued unanimous ruling on foreign corporation jurisdiction requirements

Dec 19, 2025•4 min read

Supreme Court of Iowa

Iowa Supreme Court Rules on Foreign Corporation Jurisdiction Requirements

The Iowa Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling December 19, 2025, addressing whether foreign corporations must consent to personal jurisdiction when registering to do business in Iowa. The decision came in response to a certified question from a federal court handling a class action lawsuit against CRST transportation companies.

•Federal court certified question about whether business registration equals consent to jurisdiction

•Iowa Supreme Court unanimously reversed lower court decisions protecting Iowa Northern Railway from culvert installation requirements

Dec 19, 2025•4 min read

Supreme Court of Iowa

Iowa Supreme Court Reverses Railroad Culvert Case, Backs Drainage District

The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously reversed lower court decisions and ruled that a joint drainage district can require Iowa Northern Railway Company to install a culvert through a railroad embankment. The high court vacated a Court of Appeals decision that had protected the railroad from the infrastructure modification requirement.

•Joint drainage district representing Floyd and Cerro Gordo counties can require railroad to install 5.5-foot diameter steel pipe culvert

•Alaska Supreme Court denied Alex Koponen's claim to a driveway easement across neighbors' property

Dec 19, 2025•4 min read

Alaska Supreme Court

Alaska Supreme Court Denies Driveway Easement Claim in Property Dispute

The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that denied Alex Koponen's claim to an easement for a driveway across his neighbors' property in Fairbanks. The court rejected both Koponen's arguments for an easement by estoppel and a prescriptive easement.

•Court rejected both easement by estoppel and prescriptive easement arguments

New York Court of Appeals

NY Court of Appeals Affirms Dismissal in Settlement Release Case

The New York Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court's dismissal of a false arrest lawsuit against New York City on December 18, 2025. The court held that plaintiff Johnte Smith's broad settlement agreement in a separate case released all claims against the city.

•Smith filed two separate false arrest lawsuits against NYC in 2021, both from 2020 arrests

•Settlement agreement in second case included broad release covering all claims through settlement date

•Michael Hunt used a fake pizza delivery to gain entry to a Panama City home on April 4, 2019

Florida Supreme Court

Florida Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence in Panama City Home Invasion Murder

The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the first-degree murder conviction and death sentence for Michael Harrison Hunt, who used a fake pizza delivery to force entry into a Panama City home in 2019, resulting in the death of Alexandra Elise Peck. The court rejected Hunt's appeal challenging both his conviction and capital punishment.

•The home invasion resulted in the murder of Alexandra Elise Peck and Hunt's conviction for first-degree murder

•Florida Supreme Court adopted amendments to four attorney discipline rules with modifications to Bar's original proposals

Florida Supreme Court

Florida Supreme Court Approves Amendments to Attorney Discipline Rules

The Florida Supreme Court adopted amendments to Chapter 3 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar on Dec. 18, 2025, modifying attorney discipline procedures including emergency suspension protocols and grievance committee voting requirements.

•Changes include adding 'interim' terminology to emergency suspension rules and reorganizing general discipline procedures

•Kentucky attorney J. Todd P'Pool received a 181-day probated suspension for violating professional conduct rules

Kentucky Supreme Court

Kentucky Attorney Gets 181-Day Probated Suspension After DUI Charges

The Supreme Court of Kentucky granted attorney J. Todd P'Pool's motion for a 181-day probated suspension following multiple criminal charges including DUI and assault on police officers. The suspension stems from violations of professional conduct rules after arrests in Boyd and Shelby counties.

•The charges stemmed from DUI arrests in Boyd and Shelby counties, including alleged assault on police officers

Supreme Court of Louisiana

Louisiana Supreme Court Suspends Attorney Klein After 57-Year Career

The Louisiana Supreme Court imposed a suspension on attorney Henry L. Klein on December 18, marking the latest disciplinary action against the lawyer who has practiced since 1968. Two justices dissented from the majority decision, with one calling for a lesser sanction and another deeming the punishment too harsh.

•Louisiana Supreme Court suspended attorney Henry L. Klein on December 18, 2025

•Klein has extensive disciplinary history since 1968 including previous suspensions in 1987 and 1989

•Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed Gregory Heightchew's murder, arson, attempted murder, and evidence tampering convictions

Kentucky Supreme Court

Kentucky Supreme Court Affirms Murder Convictions in Heightchew Case

The Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed the murder, arson, and attempted murder convictions of Gregory Mason Heightchew in a case involving the killing and burning of Elijah Creekmore. The court upheld a life sentence without parole for 25 years in the Henry County case.

•Heightchew received life sentence without parole for 25 years for killing and burning Elijah Creekmore