DES MOINES – The Iowa Court of Appeals overturned the murder conviction of an Iowa man this week. KCRG-TV reports the three-judge panel overturned a first-degree murder verdict against Duval Walker, Jr., ruling that one of the jurors was biased and should have been removed from the case. The appeals court has ordered a new trial, saying one of the jurors saw a new headline about Walker pleading guilty to one of the charges related to the same incident.

DES MOINES – A bill proposed in the Iowa House would require everyone riding in a vehicle to wear a seatbelt, including those in the backseat. WHO-13 reports House File 2179 has been proposed by Representative Megan Jones. The legislation would mandate seatbelts for everyone, as the current law only requires front seat drivers and passengers to do so.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Supreme Court overturned a jury verdict of $2.8 million that was awarded to the family of the man who was crushed to death at an Iowa quarry. The Des Moines Register reports that Wendling Quarries and its employees could not be held liable for the death of Michael Griffith in January 2020. His family and estate sued several employees, accusing them of failing to properly train Griffith before sending him onto a machine lacking key safety equipment. The court ruled that the actions of the company fell short of gross negligence.