Terms Used In Iowa Code 359.19

  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
 When litigation shall arise in any case not covered by section 359.18, involving the right or duty of township trustees with reference to any matter within their jurisdiction, and the trustees become or are made parties to such litigation, they shall have authority to employ attorneys in behalf of said township, and to levy the necessary tax to pay for their services, and to defray the expenses of such litigation.