State Public Defender v. Iowa District Court for Plymouth County

CADY, Justice.

In this certiorari action, we review a district court order that directs the State Public Defender to pay from the indigent defense fund a fee claim submitted by an attorney for services rendered in a child-in-need-of-assistance proceeding. We conclude the decision of the district court is not supported by substantial evidence. We sustain the writ of certiorari.

I. Background Facts and Proceedings.

David Nicks is a member of the Iowa National Guard. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2004. At the time of his deployment, he was separated from his wife, and a dissolution-of-marriage…