Iowa District Five

Court

Iowa District Five is a district court in Iowa. It encompasses the counties of Adair, Adams, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Polk, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Warren and Wayne.^[1]

Judges

• Chief Judge, Arthur E. Gamble, District 5C

District 5A Richard B. Clogg Michael Jacobsen Randy Hefner Brad McCall Martha L. Mertz Thomas Murphy Terry Rickers

District 5B John D. Lloyd Sherman W. Phipps Dustria Ann Relph

District 5C Robert J. Blink Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger Jeffrey Farrell Mary Pat Gunderson Robert B. Hanson Michael D. Huppert Robert A. Hutchison Larry McLellan Eliza Ovrom David Porter Karen A. Romano Scott D. Rosenberg Paul D. Scott Douglas Staskal D. Stovall Jeanie K. Vaudt

Associate Judges:

Associate Juvenile Judges:

• Constance Cohen
• Karla J. Fultz

Senior Judges:

David L. Christensen Darrell Goodhue Peter A. Keller Thomas W. Mott

Joel D. Novak Donna L. Paulsen Glenn E. Pille Artis Reis

Thomas A. Renda Joe E. Smith Terry Wilson

Magistrates

John W. Birdwell Leslie M. Clemenson Heather Dickinson David M. Erickson Martin L. Fisher Becky Goettsch Adam D. Hanson

Anastasia Baker Hurn Marion E. James Jonathan Kimple Andrew J. Knuth Kristian M. Lehmkuhl Jeffrey M. Lipman James Mefferd

Jonathan Noble James L. Pedersen Mary Ellen Perkins Robert A. Rolfe Donna Schauer Beth Tigges James E. Winemiller, Sr.[2]

Former judges

• Richard G. Blane, II
• Gregory A. Hulse
• Paul R. Huscher
• Gary Kimes
• David May
• Don C. Nickerson
• Carla Schemmel

See also

• Iowa District Courts
• News: Replacements for Judge Novak selected, August 22, 2011

External links

• Iowa Judicial Branch, "Fifth District Court"
• Iowa Judicial Branch
• Des Moines Register, "Activist group raps Branstad’s appointment to Iowa judicial nominating panel," July 6, 2011

Elections

See also: Iowa judicial elections

Iowa is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in Iowa, click here.

• Iowa local trial court judicial elections, 2025
• Iowa local trial court judicial elections, 2024
• Iowa local trial court judicial elections, 2023
• Iowa local trial court judicial elections, 2022
• Iowa local trial court judicial elections, 2021
• Iowa local trial court judicial elections, 2020
• Iowa local trial court judicial elections, 2019
• Iowa local trial court judicial elections, 2018
• Iowa local trial court judicial elections, 2017
• Iowa local trial court judicial elections, 2016
• Iowa judicial elections, 2014
• Iowa judicial elections, 2012
• Iowa judicial elections, 2010

Selection method

See also: Assisted appointment (judicial selection)

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]

Election rules

Retention election

In Iowa's retention elections, voters are asked to decide whether a judge should remain in office. The judge is retained for a new term if a majority of voters answers with a "yes" vote. If the majority responds with a "no" vote, the judge is removed from the bench at the end of the term.^[5]

Judges must file for retention at least 104 days prior to the election which precedes the end of their term. If a judge does not file a declaration of candidacy, the term will become vacant upon expiration.^[6]

According to a brochure released by the Iowa Judicial Branch, the purpose of Iowa's retention elections is to evaluate the competency of judges, as opposed to the popularity of their individual rulings.^[5]

Footnotes