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Iowa Supreme Court justice vacancy (December 2018)
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| Hecht Vacancy Iowa Supreme Court |
| Vacancy date |
| Vacancy status |
| Confirmation date |
| February 20, 2019 |
| Table of contents |
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The appointee Selection process About Justice Hecht |
| See also |
| Recent news External links Footnotes |
Iowa Supreme Court Justice Daryl Hecht retired on December 13, 2018. Hecht said he was retiring to focus on receiving melanoma treatment.[1]
Under Iowa law, the governor appoints supreme court justices with help from a nominating commission. Christopher McDonald, who was chosen as Hecht's replacement, was Gov. Kim Reynolds' (R) second nominee to the seven-member supreme court.
The appointee
- See also: Christopher McDonald
On February 20, 2019, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) selected Iowa Court of Appeals Judge Christopher McDonald to replace Hecht on the Iowa Supreme Court.[2] McDonald joined the state court of appeals in 2013 after being appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad (R). He was a judge for Iowa District Five from 2012 to 2013. He previously worked in private practice.[3][4]
McDonald received his undergraduate degree from Grand View University in 1997 and his J.D. from the University of Iowa in 2001.[3]
Makeup of the court
At the time of the vacancy, the makeup of the court was:
- Brent Appel - Initially appointed by Gov. Tom Vilsack
- Mark Cady - Initially appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad
- Susan Christensen - Initially appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds
- Edward Mansfield - Initially appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad
- Thomas Waterman - Initially appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad
- David Wiggins - Initially appointed by Gov. Tom Vilsack
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Iowa
The governor appoints judges of the Iowa Supreme Court with help from a nominating commission.[5] Within sixty days of receiving notice of the vacancy from the secretary of state, a commission submits the names of three nominees to the governor, who appoints one nominee to the court.[6]
The commission is composed of 17 members: one chairperson (the senior associate justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, other than the chief justice), eight lawyers selected by licensed Iowa lawyers, and eight non-lawyers appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Iowa State Senate.[7]
Newly appointed judges serve for one year. They must compete in a yes-no retention election (occurring during the regularly scheduled general election) if they wish to continue serving.[5]
About Justice Hecht
- See also: Daryl Hecht
Governor Tom Vilsack (D) appointed Hecht to the Iowa Supreme Court in 2006 to succeed Justice Louis Lavorato. Hecht was retained in 2008 and again in 2016.[8]
Prior to his appointment to the supreme court, Hecht was a judge on the Iowa Court of Appeals from 1999 to 2006. He worked as an attorney in private practice from 1977 to 1999.[8]
Hecht received a B.A. from Morningside College in 1974 and a J.D. in 1977 from the University of South Dakota School of Law. He also received an LL.M. from the University of Virginia Law School in 2004.[8]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Iowa Judicial Branch, "Justice Daryl Hecht to Resign," November 16, 2018
- ↑ Office of the Governor of Iowa, "Gov. Reynolds selects Christopher McDonald as Supreme Court justice," February 20, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Office of the Governor of Iowa: Terry Branstad, "Gov. Branstad appoints Christopher McDonald District Court Judge," July 18, 2012
- ↑ KCRG, "Branstad appoints judge to Iowa Court of Appeals," September 19, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Iowa," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ State of Iowa, "Nomination," accessed July 18, 2014
- ↑ Iowa Judicial Branch, "Judicial Nominating Commission begins process for selecting nominees for Supreme Court vacancy," December 13, 2018
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Iowa Judicial Branch, "Justice Daryl L. Hecht," accessed July 29, 2016
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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
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