1. If at any point during an action or proceeding it appears that a plaintiff or defendant is a service member and may be adversely affected by military service in the conduct of the proceedings, the court may, on its own motion, stay the proceedings.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 29A.93

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
 2. The court shall stay the proceedings if the service member or another person on the service member’s behalf makes a request in writing to the court, unless the court determines on the record that the ability of the plaintiff to pursue the action or the defendant to conduct a defense, is not materially affected by reason of military service.