Skip to main content
US Criminal Defense.org
Menu

Iowa legal term

Involuntary servitude in Iowa Criminal Law

Current through 2026 Iowa legislative session

In Iowa criminal law, “Involuntary servitude” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Iowa criminal code.

What does “Involuntary servitude” mean in Iowa criminal law?

“Involuntary servitude” means a condition of servitude induced by means of any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that if the person did not enter into or continue in such condition, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint or the threatened abuse of legal process. 6. “Labor” means work of economic or financial value. 7. “Maintain” means, in relation to labor and services, to secure continued performance thereof, regardless of any initial agreement on the part of the victim to perform such type of services. 8. “Obtain” means, in (Iowa Code § 710A.1)

Statutes defining or using this term

Related terms in the same statutes

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.