Brent Robert Appel (born July 13, 1950)[2] is an American attorney, politician and former judge who served as a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court from 2006 to 2022. Appel was previously an attorney in the office of the Attorney General of Iowa and was a candidate for a seat in the Iowa General Assembly.
Appel unsuccessfully ran once for the Iowa General Assembly as a Democratic candidate.[8]
Iowa Supreme Court
Appel was nominated by Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack for a term starting in 2006 to succeed James H. Carter on the Iowa Supreme Court.[8]
In 2010, Chief Justice John Roberts appointed Appel to a six-year term as a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on the Rules of Evidence.[3]
On June 17, 2022, Appel wrote a 94 page dissent when the Iowa Supreme Court ruled 5-2 that abortion is not protected by the state constitution.[9][10]
Appel also dissented in the June 30, 2022 case that made it harder to sue hog confinements for pollution.[11] Appel wrote “are we telling the existing property owners that they are required to ‘take one for the team’ as the private owners next door emit nuisance odors under a scheme of statutory immunity?” [12]
Appel retired on July 13, 2022, after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 72.[13] In June 2022, it was announced Appel would be joining the faculty of Drake University Law School.[14]