Bartemeyer v. Iowa is a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1873. The case involved a dispute between the plaintiff, Bartemeyer, and the defendant, the State of Iowa. Bartemeyer had been convicted of a crime in Iowa and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. He then filed a writ of habeas corpus, claiming that his conviction was unconstitutional because the jury that convicted him was not composed of a fair cross-section of the community. The Supreme Court held that the jury selection process used by Iowa did not violate the Constitution. The Court noted that the jury selection process was not arbitrary and that the jury was composed of a fair cross-section of the community. The Court also noted that the jury selection process was not based on race, religion, or any other impermissible criteria. The Court concluded that the jury selection process used by Iowa was constitutional and that Bartemeyer's conviction was valid. The Court also held that the writ of habeas corpus was properly denied. As a result, Bartemeyer's conviction was upheld and he was required to serve his sentence.

In Bartemeyer v. Iowa, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state statute that prohibited the sale of intoxicating liquors within four miles of any incorporated town or city violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The majority opinion held that it did not violate equal protection because there were rational reasons for its enactment and enforcement, such as protecting public health and safety. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision on two grounds: firstly, he argued that since all citizens are equally subject to laws enacted by their government they should be treated equally under those laws; secondly, he argued that while states have broad powers in regulating matters concerning public morals and health they cannot do so arbitrarily or discriminatorily without violating constitutional rights. He concluded by stating "the power of legislation is limited by fundamental principles which no legislature can disregard."