Judiciary of Iowa

The judiciary of Iowa is a branch of the Government of Iowa that interprets and applies the laws of Iowa, to ensure equal justice under law, and to provide a mechanism for dispute resolution. Article V of the Constitution of the State of Iowa defines the judiciary as comprising a Supreme Court, district courts, and any inferior courts established by the General Assembly.[1]

## Iowa Supreme Court

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Iowa Supreme Court

Established| 1841
Authorised by| Iowa Constitution
Appeals to| United States Supreme Court
Website| http://www.iowacourts.gov/

See also: Iowa Supreme Court

The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. As constitutional head of the Iowa Judicial Branch, the Court is composed of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices.

The Court holds its regular sessions in Des Moines in the Iowa Judicial Branch Building located at 1111 East Court Avenue on the state Capitol grounds just south of the Iowa State Capitol.

### Duties

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The seven-member Iowa Supreme Court has many important responsibilities.[2]

* The Court is the "court of last resort" or the highest court in the Iowa state court system. Its opinions are binding on all other Iowa state courts.
* The Iowa Supreme Court has the sole power to admit persons to practice as attorneys in the courts of Iowa, to prescribe rules to supervise attorney conduct, and to discipline attorneys.
* The Court is responsible for promulgating rules of procedure and practice used throughout the state courts.
* The Iowa Supreme Court has supervisory and administrative control over the judicial branch and over all judicial officers and court employees.

### Nomination of Justices

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Justices are appointed by the governor from a list of nominees submitted by the State Judicial Nominating Commission. A justice serves an initial term of office that is one year after appointment and until January 1 following the next judicial retention election after expiration of such year.[3] The regular term of office of justices retained at election is eight years. A justice must retire upon reaching the age of 72. The justices elect the chief justice.

## State Courts inferior to the Supreme Court

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### Iowa District Courts

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Not to be confused with United States District Court for the District of Iowa.

See also: Iowa District Courts

Iowa District Courts are the state trial courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Iowa.

They have original jurisdiction in civil cases with any amount in controversy; felony criminal cases, domestic relations, family law, and cases involving minors (including adoption, dependency, juvenile delinquency, and probate cases.)

District judges have the authority to hear any case within the district. Felony criminal cases, adoptions, state administration issues, and many other matters come before these judges. These judges are appointed by the governor, from a list of nominees from a state nominating commission. The term for a district judge is six years.

### State Judges Inferior to the District Courts

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Lower courts are also established as subsidiary to the District Courts.

Associate juvenile judges only have jurisdiction over juvenile court matters.

Associate probate judges have limited jurisdiction to probate cases.

Judicial magistrates primarily serve their home county and have jurisdiction over simple misdemeanors, local infractions, and small claims.

District associate judges have the same jurisdiction as judicial magistrates, with additional authority to hear more serious misdemeanors, civil suits up to $10,000, and certain juvenile cases.[4]

## District Court Jurisdictions

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No county lines are crossed by the state judicial districts, accounting for irregular shapes and sizes

See also: Iowa District Courts § Regions of Jurisdiction

There are 8 judicial districts, each encompassing five or more of Iowa's 99 counties.[5]

## See also

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* Iowa portal

* Courts of Iowa

## References

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1. ^ "Constitution of the State of Iowa". Iowa Library Services. Article V, section 1. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
2. ^ National Center for State Courts. Iowa Judicial Branch.
3. ^ Schulte, Grant (January 14, 2011). "High court's four justices get back to hearing cases". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved January 15, 2011.[permanent dead link]
4. ^ Description of the Iowa Court System Archived 2013-02-13 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ Iowa Judicial Branch

## External links

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* More information on the Supreme Court Justices
* Website of the judicial branch of Iowa
* National Center for State Courts – directory of state court websites.

* v
* t
* e

Justices of the Iowa Supreme Court

* Iowa Supreme Court (as of April 3, 2020)

* Chief Justice: Susan Christensen

* Christopher McDonald
* Edward Mansfield
* Thomas Waterman
* Dana Oxley
* Matthew McDermott
* David N. May

* Judiciary of Iowa
* State supreme court

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United States federal courts

* Supreme Court of the United States
* United States courts of appeals
* List of United States district and territorial courts

Courts of appeals|

* 1st
* 2nd
* 3rd
* 4th
* 5th
* 6th
* 7th
* 8th
* 9th
* 10th
* 11th
* DC
* Federal

District courts|

* Alabama (M, N, S)
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas (E, W)
* California (C, E, N, S)
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* District of Columbia
* Florida (M, N, S)
* Georgia (M, N, S)
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois (C, N, S)
* Indiana (N, S)
* Iowa (N, S)
* Kansas
* Kentucky (E, W)
* Louisiana (E, M, W)
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan (E, W)
* Minnesota
* Mississippi (N, S)
* Missouri (E, W)
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York (E, N, S, W)
* North Carolina (E, M, W)
* North Dakota
* Ohio (N, S)
* Oklahoma (E, N, W)
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania (E, M, W)
* Puerto Rico
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee (E, M, W)
* Texas (E, N, S, W)
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia (E, W)
* Washington (E, W)
* West Virginia (N, S)
* Wisconsin (E, W)
* Wyoming

Specialty courts|

* Court of International Trade
* Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
* Alien Terrorist Removal Court
* Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
* Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review

Territorial courts|

* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Virgin Islands

Extinct courts|

* Former United States district courts
* District of Orleans
* District of Potomac
* Eastern District of Illinois
* District of the Canal Zone
* District of China
* District of Berlin

Note|

American Samoa does not have a district court or federal territorial court; federal matters there go to the District of Columbia, Hawaii, or its own Supreme Court.

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Highest judicial bodies in the United States

Federal courts|

* Supreme Court of the United States

State supreme courts|

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* civil
* criminal
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* civil
* criminal
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Territorial supreme courts|

* American Samoa
* District of Columbia
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* United States Virgin Islands

Obsolete|

* Panama Canal Zone
* Philippine Islands

Complete list|

* Courts of the United States (federal and state, all levels)

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Law of the United States

Constitutional law
and legislation|

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Courts of the
United States|

| Federal courts|

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|

State courts|

* State supreme

Education|

* Pre-law
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Types of law|

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Judiciaries of the United States

States|

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Federal district|

Washington, D.C.

Territories|

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* U.S. Virgin Islands

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