Amy Mijares, Plaintiff–Appellee, v. Paris Shaw, Defendant–Appellant. (2026)

The district court issued a domestic-abuse protective order under Iowa Code chapter 236 (2025) prohibiting Paris Shaw from contacting Amy Mijares. Shaw appeals, raising several challenges to the protective order. Because the protective order expired before we could address Shaw's appeal, we issued an order requesting Shaw to file a supplemental brief if he contended the appeal is not moot or an exception to the mootness doctrine applies. Shaw did not file the requested supplemental brief, so we have received no arguments challenging dismissal of this appeal as moot.

A case becomes moot when it no longer presents a controversy subject to judicial determination because “the issues involved are academic or nonexistent.” Vroegh v. Iowa Dep't of Corr., 972 N.W.2d 686, 705 (Iowa 2022) (citation omitted). The question is whether a judicial determination would “have any practical legal effect upon an existing controversy.” Grinnell Coll. v. Osborn, 751 N.W.2d 396, 399 (Iowa 2008) (citation omitted). Because the protective order issued against Shaw expired, our opinion would not have any practical legal effect on an existing controversy. Accordingly, we dismiss Shaw's appeal as moot. See McGuire v. McGuire, No. 22-2067, 2024 WL 108867, at *1 (Iowa Ct. App. Jan. 10, 2024) (dismissing an appeal of an expired chapter 236 protective order as moot and collecting cases doing the same).

APPEAL DISMISSED.

Opinion by Ahlers, P.J.