1. A “forcible felony” is any felonious child endangerment, assault, murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, human trafficking, arson in the first degree, or burglary in the first degree.
2. Notwithstanding subsection 1, the following offenses are not forcible felonies:
a. Willful injury in violation of section 708.4, subsection 2.
b. Sexual abuse in the third degree committed between spouses.
c. Sexual abuse in violation of section 709.4, subsection 1, paragraph “b”, subparagraph (2), subparagraph division (d).
d. Sexual exploitation by a counselor, therapist, school employee, or adult providing training or instruction in violation of section 709.15.
e. Child endangerment subject to penalty under section 726.6, subsection 7.
f. Assault in violation of section 708.2, subsection 5.
g. Domestic abuse assault in violation of section 708.2A, subsection 5.
h. Removal of an officer’s communication or control device in violation of section 708.12, subsection 3, paragraph “f”. [C79, 81, §702.11] 85 Acts, ch 180, §2; 89 Acts, ch 138, §2; 91 Acts, ch 130, §1; 92 Acts, ch 1163, §117; 94 Acts, ch 1023, §69; 99 Acts, ch 65, §2; 2001 Acts, ch 3, §1; 2001 Acts, ch 176, §79; 2003 Acts, ch 180, §64; 2004 Acts, ch 1151, §2; 2010 Acts, ch 1072, §1; 2012 Acts, ch 1002, §3; 2013 Acts, ch 30, §248; 2013 Acts, ch 52, §1; 2015 Acts, ch 138, §137, 161, 162; 2021 Acts, ch 102, §4 Referred to in §232.52, 256.146, 272C.15, 670A.1, 718.6, 723A.1, 808B.3, 811.1, 915.10 Sentencing options excluded, see §907.3\n\nTue Dec 09 21:56:49 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 702 (32, 0) §702.12, DEFINITIONS 4 \n
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
158
cases (
26 in the last 5 years), 1979–2025 · leading case:
State v. Heemstra, 721 N.W.2d 549 (Iowa 2006).
State v. Heemstra, 721 N.W.2d 549 (Iowa 2006).
· cites it 30× “See Iowa Code § 702.11 (2)( a ). This is not significant in the present case, however, because the felony-murder claim submitted to the jury was predicated on the contention that Heemstra committed murder while participating in the class "C" felony version of willful injury,…”
State of Iowa v. Keyon Harrison, 914 N.W.2d 178 (Iowa 2018).
· cites it 18× “” Iowa Code § 702.11 (1). The felony-murder rule aims to deter people from committing those felonies the legislature has deemed inherently dangerous to the life of others.”
State of Iowa v. Sayvon Andre Propps, 897 N.W.2d 91 (Iowa 2017).
· cites it 8× “See Iowa Code § 702.11 (1); id. § 907.3. 1 Pursuant to the plea agreement, the district court sentenced Propps to indeterminate sentences not to exceed ten years on each of the four counts.”
State Of Iowa Vs. Robert L. Hanes, 790 N.W.2d 545 (Iowa 2010).
· cites it 6× “Iowa Code § 702.11 (1) (2005) (including willful injury causing serious injury in list of offenses constituting forcible felonies).”
State v. Ceaser, 585 N.W.2d 192 (Iowa 1998).
· cites it 8× “" Iowa Code § 702.11 . Although section 907.”
State v. Powers, 278 N.W.2d 26 (Iowa 1979).
· cites it 10× “) The legislature defined “forcible felony” in section 702.11: A “forcible felony” is any felonious assault, murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, arson in the first degree, or burglary in the first degree.”
State v. Sauls, 356 N.W.2d 516 (Iowa 1984).
· cites it 8× “In its marshalling instruction and in its instructions on robbery, the trial court made clear that the underlying offense as to felony-murder was robbery.”
State v. Graves, 491 N.W.2d 780 (Iowa 1992).
· cites it 14× “Iowa Code § 702.11 . This list did not include the crime of lascivious acts with a child.”
State v. Bennett, 503 N.W.2d 42 (Iowa Ct. App. 1993).
· cites it 8× “Murder is committed when "a person kills another person with malice aforethought." Iowa Code § 707.1 (1991). Murder is in the first degree when committed "while participating in a forcible felony.”
State v. Hellwege, 294 N.W.2d 689 (Iowa 1980).
· cites it 8× “Neither terrorism nor attempted murder are specifically named in section 702.11, which defines a forcible felony as “any felonious assault, murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, arson in the first degree, or burglary in the first degree.”
— Iowa Code § 702.11(1) — 21 cases
State of Iowa v. Keyon Harrison, 914 N.W.2d 178 (Iowa 2018).
“” Iowa Code § 702.11 (1). The felony-murder rule aims to deter people from committing those felonies the legislature has deemed inherently dangerous to the life of others.”
State of Iowa v. Sayvon Andre Propps, 897 N.W.2d 91 (Iowa 2017).
“See Iowa Code § 702.11 (1); id. § 907.3. 1 Pursuant to the plea agreement, the district court sentenced Propps to indeterminate sentences not to exceed ten years on each of the four counts.”
— Iowa Code § 702.11(2) — 3 cases
State v. Heemstra, 721 N.W.2d 549 (Iowa 2006).
“See Iowa Code § 702.11 (2)( a ). This is not significant in the present case, however, because the felony-murder claim submitted to the jury was predicated on the contention that Heemstra committed murder while participating in the class "C" felony version of willful injury,…”
— Iowa Code § 702.11(2)(b) — 1 case
— Iowa Code § 702.11(2)(c) — 1 case
— Iowa Code § 702.11(2)(u) — 1 case
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