Iowa Legislature may enact statute declaring curbside trash to be ‘abandoned property’, Iowa Supreme Court holds - Nyemaster Goode On Brief

Iowa Legislature may enact statute declaring curbside trash to be ‘abandoned property’, Iowa Supreme Court holds - Nyemaster Goode On Brief

The Iowa Supreme Court held in 2021 that police could not conduct warrantless searches of trash set out for collection in communities that prohibit scavenging on the grounds that such property was not yet considered “abandoned” property that could be subject to a warrantless search. In response, the Iowa Legislature enacted a statute declaring that trash set at the curb is to be considered abandoned property. As a result, warrantless searches th…