Rule 2.1 Scope of rules

These rules cover how criminal cases work in Iowa when someone is charged with a serious crime, known as an indictable offense. This includes crimes that can be prosecuted by a grand jury indictment or similar formal charge, as opposed to minor offenses like traffic tickets.

The rules also make clear that if a defendant does not have a lawyer and is representing themselves, they still have the same rights and responsibilities that a defense attorney would normally have. So even without a lawyer, the person handling their own case must follow the same rules and gets the same protections a lawyer would have under these procedures.