Woodbury County Attorney v. Iowa District Court for Woodbury County

ANDREASEN, Justice.

In this original certiorari action we must determine whether the district court lawfully ordered the Woodbury county attorney to permit a civil litigant to inspect and copy certain information in the county attorney’s criminal file. Finding the court had no authority to issue the order, we sustain the writ.

On March 6,1988, an automobile accident in rural Woodbury county took the life of Jean Ann Zimmerman, the mother of Brandon Michael Straud. Within weeks, two actions were pending against Steven Lee Ford. The first was a civil action for damages, filed on behalf of Straud…