Christopher McDonald
2019 - Present
2028
6
Christopher McDonald is a judge on the Iowa Court of Appeals. He was appointed to the court by Republican Governor Terry Branstad on September 19, 2013.[1] McDonald was retained in 2014 for a term that expires on December 31, 2020.[2][3]
Education
McDonald received his undergraduate degree from Grand View University in 1997 and his J.D. from the University of Iowa in 2001.[4]
Career
- 2013 - Present: Judge, Iowa Court of Appeals (Appointed September 19, 2013, Branstad)[1]
- 2012-2013: Judge, Iowa District 5C (Appointed May 10, 2012, Branstad)[4]
Before his appointment to the District 5C bench, McDonald worked as a senior counsel to Aviva USA.[4]
Elections
2014
McDonald was retained to the Iowa Court of Appeals with 72.3 percent of the vote on November 4, 2014. [2]
Noteworthy cases
Attorney not paid for indigent defense services due to contract term (2014)
- See also: Iowa Court of Appeals (Ofenbakh v. State Public Defender, No. 13-1327)
- See also: Iowa Court of Appeals (Ofenbakh v. State Public Defender, No. 13-1327)
When attorney Julia Ofenbakh was contracted to represent indigent persons in court for the public defender's office, it was for criminal and juvenile cases, but not for appellate services. She was, however, appointed to work an appellate proceeding in 2013. When Ofenbakh sought compensation for her services, the public defender's office denied her the payment because she had not technically been contracted for appellate work. After a hearing, a district court ruled:
| “ | There is no doubt that there was a mistake made by SPD, Court Administration, or the Court. But the evidence is overwhelming that there was reason to believe that the appointment was appropriate. Counsel should be compensated for work done.[5][6] | ” |
When the public defender's office appealed, three judges of Iowa Court of Appeals--Chief Judge David R. Danilson and Judges Christopher McDonald and Amanda Potterfield--reversed and remanded the lower court's decision, finding that Ofenbakh was not entitled to be paid for her appellate services, due to her contract.[5]
Recent news
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See also
External links
- Iowa Judicia Branch, "Iowa Court of Appeals"
- Iowa Judicial Branch: Court of Appeals, "Judge Christopher Lee McDonald"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 KCRG, "Branstad appoints judge to Iowa Court of Appeals," September 19, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Iowa Secretary of State, "Judges Standing for Retention November 4, 2014 General Election," accessed September 4, 2014
- ↑ Iowa Judicial Branch: Court of Appeals, "Judge Christopher Lee McDonald," accessed May 30, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Office of the Governor of Iowa: Terry Branstad, "Gov. Branstad appoints Christopher McDonald District Court Judge," July 18, 2012
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Iowa Court of Appeals, "Ofenbakh v. State Public Defender," August 13, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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
