Iowa Code » Chapter 710 — KIDNAPPING AND RELATED OFFENSES
Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 710.7 (2026)

False imprisonment

✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section IA-LEGlegis.iowa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

A person commits false imprisonment when, having no reasonable belief that the person has any right or authority to do so, the person intentionally confines another against the other’s will. A person is confined when the person’s freedom to move about is substantially restricted by force, threat, or deception. False imprisonment is a serious misdemeanor. [C79, 81, §710.7] Referred to in §692A.102

\n
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 40 cases (12 in the last 5 years), 1981–2026 · leading case: State of Iowa v. Montez Guise, 921 N.W.2d 26 (Iowa 2018).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
State of Iowa v. Montez Guise, 921 N.W.2d 26 (Iowa 2018). · cites it 2× “5 (2017) and false imprisonment, in violation of Iowa Code section 710.7, a serious misdemeanor. On February 6, 2017, Guise pled guilty to burglary in the second degree as part of a plea agreement.”
In re the Det. of Nicholas Wygle, 910 N.W.2d 599 (Iowa 2018). · cites it 4× “” Iowa Code § 710.7 . In this sense, Wygle was “presently confined.”
State v. Lawler, 571 N.W.2d 486 (Iowa 1997). · cites it 4× “At the joint trial of Lawler and Glessner, Ortega admitted he participated in the June burglary of the Boomsma plant. The jury determined that Lawler and Glessner were guilty of the lesser included offenses of false imprisonment, a serious misdemeanor, see Iowa Code section 710.”
State v. Matheson, 684 N.W.2d 243 (Iowa 2004). · cites it 2× “After being charged, Matheson pled guilty to three counts of false imprisonment in violation of Iowa Code section 710.7(9) (2001) and two counts of second-degree burglary in violation of sections 713.”
State of Iowa v. Jabari Lamar Walker, 856 N.W.2d 179 (Iowa 2014). · cites it 2× “” Iowa Code § 710.7 . Thus, we found in Harrington that intentionally confining another person against the other person’s will with the intent to subject the other person to sexual abuse “involved an attempt to commit” sexual abuse as required by the enhancement statute.”
State v. Sanders, 312 N.W.2d 534 (Iowa 1981). · cites it 2× “2, The Code 1979, and false imprisonment, committed in violation of section 710.7, The Code 1979. Each was sentenced to serve concurrent terms of not more than twenty-five years on the robbery conviction and one year on the false imprisonment charge.”
United States v. Gonzalez-Ramirez, 477 F.3d 310 (5th Cir. 2007). “460 (2005) (elevating the offense to a felony under certain circumstances, including when a deadly weapon is used); Ohio Rev.”
State v. Snider, 479 N.W.2d 622 (Iowa Ct. App. 1991). · cites it 4× “Iowa Code section 710.7 (1989), False Imprisonment, states: A person commits false imprisonment when, having no reasonable belief that the person has any right or authority to do so, the person intentionally confines another against the other’s will.”
State v. Brown, 376 N.W.2d 910 (Iowa Ct. App. 1985). · cites it 2× “, Iowa Code §§ 710.7 (False Imprisonment), 716.”
State v. Coen, 382 N.W.2d 703 (Iowa Ct. App. 1985). · cites it 2× “The confinement need not exist for any particular length of time, as long as it is for the *709 purpose of restricting the person’s freedom to move about, (emphasis added) See also Iowa Code § 710.7 (1985) (“A person is confined when the person’s freedom to move about is…”
State v. Nelson, 329 N.W.2d 643 (Iowa 1983). · cites it 2× “This is an appeal by defendant, Gregory Irvin Nelson, from his conviction of false imprisonment in violation of Iowa Code section 710.7 (1981). On appeal, defendant claims that (1) his sixth amendment right of confrontation was violated when the court admitted a written…”
State v. Harrington, 608 N.W.2d 440 (Iowa 2000). · cites it 4× “Defendant, Charles Glenn Harrington, appeals from the sentence imposed following his conviction of false imprisonment in violation of Iowa Code section 710.7 (1997). Because we find that defendant received an illegal sentence, we affirm the conviction but vacate the sentence.”
Show all 40 citing cases →
— Iowa Code § 710.7(1995) — 1 case
State v. Lawler, 571 N.W.2d 486 (Iowa 1997). “At the joint trial of Lawler and Glessner, Ortega admitted he participated in the June burglary of the Boomsma plant. The jury determined that Lawler and Glessner were guilty of the lesser included offenses of false imprisonment, a serious misdemeanor, see Iowa Code section 710.”
— Iowa Code § 710.7(9) — 1 case
State v. Matheson, 684 N.W.2d 243 (Iowa 2004). “After being charged, Matheson pled guilty to three counts of false imprisonment in violation of Iowa Code section 710.7(9) (2001) and two counts of second-degree burglary in violation of sections 713.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.