Iowa Supreme Court · No. 25-0157

Norman Wayne Davis IV v. State of Iowa

Decided May 8, 2026 · appeal from Polk County · Criminal

What the court decided

AI summary An inmate challenged a court decision that dismissed his request for relief because it was filed too late. He argued that the application should be considered timely under the prison mailbox rule. The court affirmed the original decision, meaning the dismissal stands.¹

Result: Affirmed

The court’s own summary

Postconviction relief applicant appeals a district court ruling dismissing his application as untimely. He contends the court erred by failing to adopt and apply the prison mailbox rule to find his application was filed within the three-year statute of limitations.

Holding: An inmate appeals the district court’s dismissal of his postconviction relief application. Affirmed.

Read the opinion (PDF) · Case page on iowacourts.gov

Judges

Written by Justice Matthew McDermott
Trial judge: Jeffrey D. Farrell, Polk County

Iowa Code it cites

§602.8102 §622.105 §822.2 §822.3

Each links to the bills that change that chapter.