Bruce B. Zager
Bruce B. Zager was a justice on the Iowa Supreme Court. He was appointed by Republican Governor Terry Branstad in 2011.[1] He retired from the court on September 3, 2018.[2] To learn more about this retirement, click here.
Education
Zager received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 1975 and his J.D. from Drake University Law School in 1980.[3]
Career
- 2011-2018: Justice, Iowa Supreme Court
- 1999-2011: Judge, Iowa District 1B
- 1981-1999: Attorney in private practice
Zager also worked as a part-time Black Hawk Assistant County Attorney for 12 years.[3]
Court of Appeals nomination
Zager was one of three judges recommended to the Governor Chet Culver by the Iowa Judicial Nominating Commission to fill a vacancy on the Iowa Court of Appeals in 2009. Eighteen people applied for the opening and the Nominating Commission narrowed the field to three candidates. The vacancy was created when John Miller retired.[4] David R. Danilson ultimately received the appointment.[5]
Elections
2012
- See also: Iowa judicial elections, 2012
Zager was retained in the general election on November 6, 2012, receiving 74.1 percent of the vote.[6][7]
Political outlook
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.
Zager received a campaign finance score of 1.03, indicating a conservative ideological leaning. This was more conservative than the average score of 0.21 that justices received in Iowa.
The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.[8]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Office of the Governor of Iowa, "Branstad names Iowa District Court Judge Bruce Zager to the Iowa Supreme Court," February 23, 2011
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "Iowa Supreme Court justice announces retirement," May 4, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Iowa Judicial Branch, "Justice Bruce B. Zager," accessed August 8, 2014
- ↑ Associated Press, "3 named as nominees for Iowa appeals court," August 18, 2009
- ↑ Iowa Judicial Branch, "Judge Danilson investiture," December 1, 2009
- ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "Unofficial 2012 General Election Results - Supreme Court" as of 11/7/2012 8:50AM CST
- ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "Judges Standing for Retention 2012"
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa
State courts:
Iowa Supreme Court • Iowa Court of Appeals • Iowa district courts
State resources:
Courts in Iowa • Iowa judicial elections • Judicial selection in Iowa
