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Iowa District Four
| Local Courts |
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| Trial courts and judges |
| Elections by state |
| Judicial selection by state |
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The Iowa District Court 4 resides in Iowa. Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...
Jurisdiction
This court holds the following jurisdiction:[1]
| “ | Nearly all cases begin in the district (trial) court and there is one district court in every county in Iowa. The district court has general jurisdiction of civil, criminal, juvenile, and probate matters in the state. It is where parties start their lawsuits, prosecutors file criminal charges, trials take place, lawyers offer evidence, witnesses testify, juries deliberate, and judges enter judgments. For purposes of administration, Iowa is divided into eight judicial districts. A chief judge who is selected by the Iowa Supreme Court heads each district.[2] | ” |
Selection method
Judges of the Iowa District Courts are all appointed by the governor with help from a nominating commission. When a vacancy occurs on one of the courts, the commission submits a list of three potential nominees to the governor, who appoints one to serve as judge. Newly appointed judges serve for one year after their appointment; they must then compete in a yes-no retention election (occurring during the regularly scheduled general election) if they wish to continue serving.[3]
The chief judge is selected by the state supreme court.[3]
To serve, a judge must be licensed to practice law in the state, a member of Iowa bar, a resident of the district and under the age of 72*.[3]
*Retirement at 72 is mandatory, though older judges may apply to become a senior judge. Senior judges must work a minimum of 13 weeks a year and are to receive a monthly retirement annuity and an annual stipend. They must retire at age 78 (or 80, if reappointed by the supreme court for additional one-year terms).[4]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Iowa Judicial Branch, "District Court," accessed May 12, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Iowa," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Legislative Services Agency, "Judicial Retirement System," July 2013
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
