Iowa Code § 670A.2 - Perpetrator liability

1. A perpetrator assumes the risk of and is liable for any loss, injury, or death which results from or arises out of the perpetrator’s course of criminal conduct. A crime victim is not liable for any damages caused by any acts of the victim in defending or attempting to defend against the crime if the victim used reasonable force when committing the acts. A perpetrator’s assumption of risk and liability does not eliminate a victim’s duty to protect against any conditions which the victim knows or has reason to know may create an unreasonable risk of harm. This section shall not apply to perpetrators who, because of mental illness or defect, are incapable of knowing the nature and quality of their acts or are incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong in relation to those acts. 2. For purposes of this section, a certified copy of a guilty plea, an order entering a judgment of guilt, a court record of conviction or adjudication, an order adjudicating a child delinquent, or a record of an informal adjustment agreement shall be conclusive proof of a perpetrator’s assumption of risk of and liability for any damage or harm caused to a victim. 3. In addition to any claim for damages, the court shall award a victim reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees and disbursements, which are incurred in the prosecution of the damages claim. 4. Except as necessary to preserve evidence, the court shall stay any action for damages under this section during the pendency of any criminal action which pertains to the course of criminal conduct which forms the basis for a claim for relief under this section. 98 Acts, ch 1111, §2