Opinion ID: 1969303
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Discussion of LawGeneral Principles

Text: The doctrine of issue preclusion, or collateral estoppel, serves a dual purpose. Harris v. Jones, 471 N.W.2d 818, 819 (Iowa 1991). First, the doctrine protects litigants from the vexation of relitigating identical issues with identical parties or those persons with a sufficient connective interest to the prior litigation. Id. Second, it promotes the interest of judicial economy by preventing unnecessary litigation. Id. ; see also Parklane Hosiery Co. v. Shore, 439 U.S. 322, 326, 99 S.Ct. 645, 649, 58 L.Ed.2d 552, 559 (1979). For issue preclusion to apply four prerequisites must exist: (1) the issue must be identical to the one previously decided; (2) the issue must have been raised and litigated in the previous action; (3) the issue must have been material and relevant to the disposition of the previous action; and (4) the previous determination made on the issue must have been necessary and essential to the resulting judgment. Hunter v. City of Des Moines, 300 N.W.2d 121, 123 (Iowa 1981). Formerly, the doctrine of issue preclusion was available only to parties bound by the prior judgment. Harris, 471 N.W.2d at 820. In Hunter we abandoned that requirement. Hunter, 300 N.W.2d at 125. Under our current standard, to invoke issue preclusion a defendant need only show the plaintiff was so connected in interest with one of the parties in the former action as to have had a full and fair opportunity to litigate the ... issue and be properly bound by its resolution. Id. at 123.