As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. “Notification” means mailing by regular mail or providing for hand delivery of
appropriate information or papers. However, this notification procedure does not prohibit
an office, agency, or department from also providing appropriate information to a registered
victim by telephone, electronic mail, or other means.
2. “Registered” means having provided the county attorney with the victim’s written
request for registration and current mailing address and telephone number. “Registered”
also means having provided the county attorney notice in writing that the victim has filed a
request for registration with the automated victim notification system established pursuant
to section 915.10A.
3. “Victim” means a person who has suffered physical, emotional, or financial harm as the
result of a public offense or a delinquent act, other than a simple misdemeanor, committed
in this state. “Victim” also includes the immediate family members of a victim who died or
was rendered incompetent as a result of the offense or who was under eighteen years of age
at the time of the offense.
\n
Tue Dec 09 21:51:55 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 915 (75, 1)
3 VICTIM RIGHTS, §915.12\n\n 4. “Victim impact statement” means a written or oral presentation to the court by the
victim or the victim’s representative that indicates the physical, emotional, financial, or other
effects of the offense upon the victim.
5. “Violent crime” means a forcible felony, as defined in section 702.11, and includes any
other felony or aggravated misdemeanor which involved the actual or threatened infliction
of physical or emotional injury on one or more persons.
98 Acts, ch 1090, §5, 84; 99 Acts, ch 114, §47; 2005 Acts, ch 158, §46; 2007 Acts, ch 27, §3
Referred to in §901.4B, 902.1, 915.24, 915.100
\n
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
38
cases (
15 in the last 5 years), 2004–2026 · leading case:
State v. Tesch, 704 N.W.2d 440 (Iowa 2005).
State v. Tesch, 704 N.W.2d 440 (Iowa 2005).
· cites it 16× “Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). Tesch maintains the Seversons do not fall within this definition.”
State of Iowa v. Rene Zarate, 908 N.W.2d 831 (Iowa 2018).
· cites it 4× “1(2)( b )(2), in determining what sentence to impose, the [sentencing] court shall consider all circumstances including but not limited to the following: (a) The impact of the offense on each victim, as defined by section 915.10, through the use of a victim impact statement, as…”
State v. Matheson, 684 N.W.2d 243 (Iowa 2004).
· cites it 2× “” Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). The State contends the error in admitting the evidence was harmless and points to the presumption that a sentencing court does not ordinarily consider an impermissible factor.”
De Britto Bucco v. W. Iowa Tech Cmty. Coll. (N.D. Iowa 2023).
· cites it 9× “CAASA argues the court’s implicit interpretation of “violent crime” is inconsistent with the definition of “violent crime” set forth in Iowa Code § 915.10 (5), which states: As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise requires: * * * 5.”
State of Iowa v. Amber Rene Wilson (Iowa Ct. App. 2023).
· cites it 8× “In taking this expansive approach, we have interpreted section 915.10 to cover individuals directly harmed by the offense, even if not the intended victim, at the time of the commission of the offense.”
State of Iowa v. Anthony Schmitz (Iowa Ct. App. 2018).
· cites it 7× “Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). Schmitz acknowledges that it was permissible for the sentencing court to receive victim impact statements from Meyer, M.”
State of Iowa v. Derek E. Ueligger (Iowa Ct. App. 2018).
· cites it 6× “Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). The court has limited “immediate family members” of a victim to only the spouse and those within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity (i.”
State of Iowa v. Amanda Marie Taylor (Iowa Ct. App. 2014).
· cites it 10× “” Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). A victim is permitted to submit a victim impact statement to the court indicating “the physical, emotional, financial, or other effects of the offense upon the victim.”
State of Iowa v. David Anthony Araiza (Iowa Ct. App. 2015).
· cites it 8× “” Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). Araiza voiced no objection to a victim impact statement from Lynnette’s daughter but objected to Lynnette’s victim impact statement on the ground “she would not qualify as a victim within the meaning of the Code.”
State of Iowa v. John Walter Mulder (Iowa Ct. App. 2017).
· cites it 4× “” See Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). Because nothing in chapter 915 limits victim impact statements to immediate family members, we reject his argument.”
— Iowa Code § 915.10(3) — 11 cases
State v. Tesch, 704 N.W.2d 440 (Iowa 2005).
“Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). Tesch maintains the Seversons do not fall within this definition.”
State of Iowa v. Amber Rene Wilson (Iowa Ct. App. 2023).
“In taking this expansive approach, we have interpreted section 915.10 to cover individuals directly harmed by the offense, even if not the intended victim, at the time of the commission of the offense.”
State of Iowa v. Amanda Marie Taylor (Iowa Ct. App. 2014).
“” Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). A victim is permitted to submit a victim impact statement to the court indicating “the physical, emotional, financial, or other effects of the offense upon the victim.”
State of Iowa v. Anthony Schmitz (Iowa Ct. App. 2018).
“Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). Schmitz acknowledges that it was permissible for the sentencing court to receive victim impact statements from Meyer, M.”
— Iowa Code § 915.10(4) — 3 cases
State of Iowa v. Amanda Marie Taylor (Iowa Ct. App. 2014).
“” Iowa Code § 915.10 (3). A victim is permitted to submit a victim impact statement to the court indicating “the physical, emotional, financial, or other effects of the offense upon the victim.”
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.