Pfister v. Iowa District Court for Polk County

TERNUS, Justice.

In the 2002 legislative session, the Iowa General Assembly adopted several amendments to the Iowa Code addressing the appointment of state-paid counsel for indigent persons alleged to have violated parole. In the matter before us, the district court ruled the amendments were unconstitutional to the extent they denied court-appointed counsel to indigent parolees who would otherwise be entitled to such counsel under the principles set forth in Gagnon v. Scarpelli, 411 U.S. 778, 93 S.Ct. 1756, 36 L.Ed.2d 656 (1973). The court concluded, however, that the amendments eliminating…