Iowa
History
1892 Iowa
enacts its first statute against sodomy and the enacting law says that it will
become law upon publication in two stated newspapers. Though technically
either paper thus is given a veto power over the new law, it is published
promptly by both.
1904 The
Iowa Supreme Court is the first to get a sodomy defense claim of
“irresistable insane impulse.” The Court rejects the argument.
1907 A new
law requires first time offender male prisoners to be sent to the state
reformatory instead of prison, except for those convicted of four offenses,
one of them sodomy.
1925 The
Iowa Supreme Court is the first to get a sodomy defense of drunkeness. It
rejects the argument.
1970 Iowa
enacts a unique law requiring a coroner’s inquest into deaths caused by
“crimes against nature.”
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