1. Unless otherwise ordered by the court, all information filed with the court for the purpose of securing a warrant for an arrest, including but not limited to a citation and affidavits, shall be a confidential record until such time as a peace officer has made the arrest and has made the officer’s return on the warrant, or the defendant has made an initial appearance in court. During the period of time that information is confidential, the record shall be sealed by the court and the information contained in the record shall not be disseminated to any person unless otherwise ordered by the court.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 804.29

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Judicial officer: means a supreme court justice, a judge of the court of appeals, a district judge, a district associate judge, an associate juvenile judge, an associate probate judge, or a magistrate. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • 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
 2. However, during the period of confidentiality in subsection 1, the information in the record may be disseminated, without court order, during the course of official duties to the following persons unless access to such information is expressly denied by court order:

 a. A peace officer, or any other employee of a law enforcement agency if allowed access pursuant to section 692.14 and if authorized in writing by the head of the agency.
 b. An employee of the county attorney’s office.
 c. A judicial officer or other court employees.
 d. An employee of the department of corrections, if authorized by the director of the department of corrections, or an employee of a judicial district department of correctional services, if authorized by the director of the judicial district department of correctional services.
 e. A court-appointed attorney in a specific case where an arrest warrant has been issued but not served, provided the defendant is in custody and subject to a hold for that arrest warrant.