Iowa v. Aschbrenner, No. 18–1045 (Iowa 2019)
Nature of Case: Appellant was convicted of violating Internet Identifier reporting requirements of Iowa’s sex offense registry scheme. Part of the requirements that he was compelled to comply with was to report changes to his “internet identifiers,” which was broadly defined by statute. Appellant maintained a Facebook account, which was discovered, and he was charged and ultimately convicted. He then appealed his conviction on Ex Post Facto, First Amendment, and Vagueness grounds.
Holding: Iowa Supreme Court affirmed. Statute did not violate the ex post facto clause, as it was nonpunitive. Furthermore, the Court held that, under intermediate scrutiny, the reporting statute was narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest.
Case Documents
- Iowa Supreme Court Opinion | view via Google Scholar
- Appellant’s Brief
- Appellee’s Brief
- Appellant’s Reply Brief
- Oral Argument Video