In 1962, Iowa voters approved a constitutional amendment that replaced elections of judges with merit selection and retention elections, which help curb the influence of political parties and special interest groups in the selection of Iowa’s judges, among other things. He was appointed to the Iowa Court of Appeals in 2012 after serving as a district court judge for the Waterloo-based 1B Judicial District in 1995. Biographies of the judges and a Q&A about the retention process are available in the Iowa Voters' Judicial Directory, compiled by the Judicial Branch. However, if I lived in Judicial District 6 (Linn, Johnson, Benton, Iowa, Jones, or Tama counties) I would vote against retaining Jason Besler, because Reynolds appointed him in violation of Iowa’s constitution. Appeals of decisions reached in the district courts are taken to the Iowa Court of Appeals. Iowa district courts are trial courts in Iowa. Judge Bethany Currie, of Marshalltown, was appointed to the bench in 2018 and is up for retention along with six other district court judges and three associated judges. The Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges will appear on ballots statewide, while district court judges will only appear on ballots in the judicial district that they represent. Iowa is one of several states that uses some form of merit selection process involving a nominating commission and a gubernatorial appointment. Here's what you'll find on your Iowa ballot, plus info about the candidates and their stances, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Profession and Activities: Summer Internship, Manhattan District Attorney's Office, New York, 1972; Practiced law, Waterloo, 1973-78; Asst. Anti-retention campaigns are often sparked by specific judicial decisions, like legalizing same-sex marriage in Iowa, Keith said. Four of the 16 judges who comprise the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal are up for a merit retention election on Nov. 3. However, if I lived in Judicial District 6 (Linn, Johnson, Benton, Iowa, Jones, or Tama counties) I would vote against retaining Jason Besler, because Reynolds appointed him in violation of Iowa’s constitution. In 2010, conservatives launched a successful campaign against retaining three Iowa Supreme Court justices who were part of the court's unanimous 2009 decision legalizing same-sex marriage in Iowa. Get the scoop on all the candidates in the 2020 Iowa General Elections. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller. Justice Thomas Waterman was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court by Governor Terry Branstad in 2010. What's the most common error voters make when filling them out? She was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and attended Grinnell College. For assistance with problems associated with this web page please contact the OCIO Help Desk at 515-281-5703 / 1-800-532-1174 or helpdesk@iowa.gov. The 2nd District judges — … LIMITED PUBLIC INPUT. More:Gov. Ballotpedia features 319,277 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. • Iowa district courts, Courts in Iowa • Iowa judicial elections • Judicial selection in Iowa. Meanwhile, studies of trial court judges, who are bound much more rigidly by the law of any particular case, find little or no correlation between political affiliation and judicial decisions. The Court has jurisdiction to hear both civil and criminal matters. Iowa District Court Judge Robert Hanson on Monday issued an emergency stay of the requirement that Democrats said would confuse voters, especially those … The Unified Trial Court Act of 1972, abolished all trial courts below the District Court of Iowa and established the "Iowa District Court" as a unified trial court, effective July 1, 1973. Although Iowa judges are appointed, not elected, each one periodically stands for a public retention vote, in which voters decide whether to keep them in office. In 1962, Iowa voters approved a constitutional amendment that replaced elections of judges with merit selection and retention elections, which help curb the influence of political parties and special interest groups in the selection of Iowa’s judges, among other things. The Supreme Court and Court … The Iowa District Court is the general jurisdiction trial court for the State of Iowa. District Court Judge, Joel W. Barrows: District 7. 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