Christopher McDonald
2019 - Present
2028
6
Christopher McDonald is a justice on the Iowa Supreme Court. On February 20, 2019, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) selected McDonald to succeed retired Justice Daryl Hecht.[1] McDonald joined the court in April 2019.[2]
McDonald was a judge on the Iowa Court of Appeals from 2013 to 2019. He was appointed to the court by Governor Terry Branstad (R) on September 19, 2013.[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
- 2019-present: Justice, Iowa Supreme Court. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) appointed McDonald to this court on February 20, 2019.[1]
- 2013-2019: Judge, Iowa Court of Appeals. Gov. Terry Branstad (R) appointed McDonald to this court on September 19, 2013.[3]
- 2012-2013: Judge, Iowa District 5C. Branstad appointed McDonald to this court on May 10, 2012.[4]
Before his appointment to the District 5C bench, McDonald worked as a senior counsel to Aviva USA.[4]
Elections
2020
McDonald needed to run in a yes-no retention election in 2020 to remain on the bench.
2014
- See also: Iowa judicial elections, 2014
McDonald was retained to the Iowa Court of Appeals with 72.3 percent of the vote on November 4, 2014.[5]
Noteworthy cases
AFSCME Council 61 v. Iowa and Iowa State Education Association v. Iowa (2019)
In two separate rulings issued on May 17, 2019, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld a 2017 law that amended collective bargaining rights for the state's public-sector workforce. The court ruled 4-3 in the state's favor in both cases.[6]
In 2017, then-Gov. Terry Branstad (R) signed into law a series of amendments to Iowa's public-sector labor relations law. As a result, collective bargaining units with less than 30 percent public-safety personnel (defined generally as firefighters and police officers) were barred from negotiating insurance, hours, vacations, holidays, overtime, and health and safety issues unless their employers elected to do so. Collective bargaining units exceeding the 30-percent threshold were exempted from these restrictions.[6]
The plaintiffs, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 61 (AFSCME Council 61) and the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), argued the amendments violated their equal protection and associational rights under the state constitution. The defendants were the state of Iowa and the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board. Both cases were filed in state district courts, which ruled against the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs appealed these decisions to the state supreme court.[7]
In each case, the court ruled 4-3 in the state's favor. In the majority opinion covering both cases, Justice Thomas Waterman wrote: "The 2017 amendments do not infringe on a fundamental right of association. The plaintiffs 'come to us with a problem suitable only for political solution.' The plaintiffs are free to attempt to persuade public employers, such as the State and local governments and school boards, to voluntarily bargain over formerly mandatory terms. The plaintiffs otherwise must look to the ballot box and the elected branches to change this lawfully enacted statute." Justices Susan Christensen, Edward Mansfield, and Christopher McDonald joined Waterman’s opinion.[7]
Chief Justice Mark Cady and Justices Brent Appel and David Wiggins dissented. In his dissent, Cady wrote: "[The] Iowa statute ends up treating many similarly situated public employees in Iowa differently based solely on the bargaining unit they belong to and not for the reason the constitution would justify different treatment of public employees. Our constitution requires laws to treat similarly situated people equally unless there is an adequate reason otherwise. In this case, the overinclusiveness and underinclusiveness written into the statute drowned this reason out."[7]
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.[8][9] | ” |
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.[8]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Iowa Court of Appeals Christopher McDonald. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Office of the Governor of Iowa, "Gov. Reynolds selects Christopher McDonald as Supreme Court justice," February 20, 2019
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "Christopher McDonald becomes the first person of color to serve on the Iowa Supreme Court," April 5, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 KCRG, "Branstad appoints judge to Iowa Court of Appeals," September 19, 2013
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "Judges Standing for Retention November 4, 2014 General Election," accessed September 4, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Gazette, "Iowa justices uphold controversial collective bargaining changes," May 17, 2019
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Supreme Court of Iowa, "AFSCME Iowa Council 61 v. Iowa: Decision," May 17, 2019
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 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.
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current |
| ||
| Former | Mark Cady • Daryl Hecht • David Baker (Iowa) • Rosemary Sackett • Richard Doyle • Amanda Potterfield • Anuradha Vaitheswaran • John Miller (Iowa) • Robert Mahan • Gayle Vogel • James Beeghly • Terry Huitink • Van Zimmer • Ronald Schechtman • Vern Robinson • Frank Nelson • Edward Mansfield • Michael R. Mullins • David R. Danilson • Thomas N. Bower • Christopher McDonald • David May • | ||
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
