Brenda Papillon v. Bryon Jones

WATERMAN, Justice.

When is ignorance of the law an excuse? In this appeal, we review whether the district court properly awarded punitive damages under the Interception of Communications Act, Iowa Code chapter 808B (2013), without specifically finding the defendant knew his conduct violated that statute. In Iowa Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity v. State, we interpreted chapter 808B to require such actual knowledge to award punitive damages. 763 N.W.2d 260, 267 (Iowa 2009). The defendant in today’s case secretly recorded his ex-girlfriend’s conversations with other persons outside his…