Iowa legal term
Petitioner in Iowa Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Iowa legislative session
In Iowa criminal law, “Petitioner” 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 “Petitioner” mean in Iowa criminal law?
“Petitioner” means a person who is the victim of a sexual assault which resulted in alleged significant exposure or the parent, guardian, or custodian of a victim if the victim is a minor, for whom the county attorney files a petition with the district court to require the convicted offender to undergo an HIV-related test. 10. “Sexual assault” means sexual abuse as defined in section 709.1, or any other sexual offense by which a victim has allegedly had sufficient contact with a convicted or an alleged offender to be deemed a significant exposure. 11. “Significant exposure” means contact of th (Iowa Code § 915.40)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.