District 7
Chief Judge, Bobbi M Alpers: District 7
Judge Alpers, Davenport, was appointed to the
bench in 1992 and named as chief judge in 2006. Born in Vinton, Iowa, she
received her bachelor's degree at the University of Dubuque in 1973. She earned
her masters in 1975 and her law degree in 1983 from the University of Iowa.
After graduation, she clerked for the Seventh Judicial District, served as
assistant Scott County attorney, and practiced law as a sole practitioner. From
1987 to 1992 she served as a Scott County magistrate. Judge Alpers is a member
of the Scott County and Iowa State Bar Associations, as well as the Iowa Judges
Association, National Association for Women Judges, the American Judicature
Society and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
District Court Judge, Mark D. Cleve: District
7
Judge Cleve, Davenport, was appointed to the
bench in 1998. He was born in Davenport, Iowa. He received both his
undergraduate and law education from the University of Iowa. After graduating
from law school in 1981, he served as Assistant County Attorney for Black Hawk
County. He was in private practice in Davenport, from 1984-1998. Judge Cleve is
a member of the Scott County and Iowa Bar Associations, the Iowa Judges
Association, and the Dillon Inn of Court.
District Court Judge, J. Hobart Darbyshire:
District 7
Judge Darbyshire, Davenport, was originally
appointed to the bench in 1979, and served until 1985. After returning to
private practice, he was again appointed as a District Judge in 1995. Born in
Lake City, Iowa, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Morningside College
in 1964. He attended the University of Iowa College of Law, and received his
Juris Doctor degree in 1967. Following law school, he served as a Law Clerk for
the Honorable Clay LeGrand, Iowa Supreme Court Justice, from 1967-68; practiced
law in Rockwell City, Mapleton, and Davenport; and served as a part-time U.S.
magistrate for the Southern District of Iowa from 1972-79. Judge Darbyshire is
a member of the Iowa State Bar Association and the Iowa Judges' Association. He
is married, with three children and four grandchildren.
District Court Judge, Marlita A. Greve:
District 7
Judge Greve, Bettendorf, was appointed to the
bench in 2006. She received her undergraduate degree from Upper Iowa University
Magna Cum Laude and her law degree from the University Of Iowa College
Of Law in 1992 with High Distinction. After graduation from law school, she was
in private practice from 1992-2006. Judge Greve is a member of the Scott
County Bar Association, the Iowa State Bar Association, and the Iowa Judges
Association. She is married and has one child.
District Court Judge, Mary E. Howes: District
7
Judge Howes, Davenport, was appointed to the
district court bench in September, 2006. She served as Associate Court Judge
for Scott County from January 2000 until her appointment to district court. She
served as a Scott County Magistrate from 1993 to 2000. Judge Howes also was an
Assistant County Attorney for seven years. She received her undergraduate
degree from Drake University in 1979, and her law degree from the University of
Iowa in 1982.
District Court Judge, James E. Kelley:
District 7
Judge Kelley, Bettendorf, was appointed to
the bench in August, 1981. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He earned his
Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1963, his Juris
Doctor degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1966 (graduating
Order of the Coif), and a Masters in Judicial Studies from the University of
Nevada-Reno and National Judicial College in 1993. After earning his law
degree, he went into the private practice of law with a law firm in Davenport
for 15 years prior to his appointment to the bench. Judge Kelley is a member of
the Iowa Judges Association (President 1996-97); the American Bar Association,
Judicial Division; the Conference of state Trial Court Judges (Jury Standards
Committee and Jury Management Committee, 1994-97); and the Iowa Judicial
Council Subcommittee on Records Management and Retention (chair). Judge Kelley
is married with two adult children.
District Court Judge, Paul L. Macek: District
7
Judge Macek was appointed to the bench in
2008.
District Court Judge, Gary D. McKenrick:
District 7
Judge McKenrick, Bettendorf, was appointed to
the bench in 1993. He was appointed as District Court Judge in 1999. Born
in DeWitt, Iowa, Judge McKenrick received his bachelor's degree from Cornell
College in 1979 and his law degree from University of Iowa in 1982. He then clerked
for the Seventh Judicial District for a year, before going into private
practice from 1983 to 1993. He is married and has two children.
District Court Judge, Charles H. Pelton:
District 7
Judge Pelton, Clinton, was appointed to the
bench in 1974. He was born in Clinton, Iowa, and attended the University of
Iowa. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1962 and his law degree in 1966. In
addition to practicing law, he served in the Iowa House of Representatives from
1966-1972 and chaired the OSHA Review Commission for one year. Judge Pelton is
a member of the American Bar Association, the American Law Institute, and sat
on the board of directors at the National Center for State Courts. Judge Pelton
is married and has five children.
District Court Judge, David H. Sivright, Jr.:
District 7
Judge Sivright, Clinton, was appointed to the
bench in 1992. He was born in Gary, Indiana, and received his bachelor's degree
from the University of Kansas in 1966. In 1969 he earned his law degree from
the same institution. He practiced law with a private firm in Clinton, Iowa.
Judge Sivright belongs to the Clinton County, Iowa State, and American Bar
Associations. He serves on the Judicial Ethics and Courts and Community
Committees of the Iowa Judges Association. He was awarded the key to the City
of Clinton in 1989 and the Reeves Gold Key Award from the Clinton Community
School District in 1990. He is married with two children.
District Court Judge, Mark J. Smith: District
7
Judge Smith, LeClaire, was appointed to the
bench in 1997. Born in Davenport, Iowa, he earned his bachelor's degree from
St. Ambrose University in 1972 and his law degree from St. Louis University in
1975. He has experience with real estate and personal injury cases, as well as
trial work as both a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney.
District Court Judge, Nancy S. Tabor:
District 7
Judge Tabor was appointed an associate
juvenile judge in 1994 and named district court judge in 1999. Born in
Morristown, New Jersey, she earned her undergraduate degree from William
Paterson College of New Jersey in 1982 and her law degree in 1986 from the
University of Wyoming, College of Law. Judge Tabor served as assistant city
attorney in Cheyenne, Wyoming and as assistant Clinton county attorney. She was
in private practice from 1987-1989 in Wyoming and later in Iowa until 1999. She
served on the Supreme Court Task Force for Juvenile Court Improvement Project.
She is a member of the Wyoming Bar Association, the Iowa Bar Association and an
ISBA mediator. She is married and has two children.
District Associate Judge, John G. Mullen:
District 7
Judge Mullen, Davenport, was appointed to the
bench in 1986. He was born in Tucson, Arizona, and received his bachelor's
degree from the University of Illinois in 1971. He then attended Drake
University Law School and graduated in 1974. He worked for the Iowa Attorney
General's Office until 1978. Judge Mullen went into private practice from 1978
to 1986. He is a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court
Judges.
District Associate Judge, Gary P. Strausser:
District 7
Judge Strausser was appointed to the bench in
2005. He earned his bachelor's degree from Towson State University and his
Law Degree from Drake University Law School. He also earned his Master's
Degree from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake
University. After graduating from Law School he served as an Assistant
Clinton County Attorney from 1992 to 2005 and was First Assistant from 1999
until 2005. Judge Strausser is married and has one son.
District Associate Judge, Christine Dalton
Ploof: District 7
Christine Dalton Ploof, Davenport, was
appointed to the bench in November 2006. She received her bachelor's degree
from Coe College in 1986, and her law degree from the University of Iowa
College of Law in 1989. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she worked at
the State Public Defender's Muscatine Office; at the Muscatine County
Attorney's office; and as a staff attorney at Muscatine Legal Services.
Memberships include the Iowa State Bar Association, the Muscatine County Bar
Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Iowa
Public Defenders' Association.
District Associate Judge, Thomas H. Preacher:
District 7
Judge Preacher was appointed to the bench in
2008.
District Associate Judge, Phillip J. Tabor:
District 7
Judge Tabor was appointed to the bench in
2008.
Senior District Associate Judge, Douglas
McDonald: District 7
Judge McDonald, Bettendorf, was appointed to
the bench in 1988, and served until his retirement on November 6, 2007. He was
then appointed by the Iowa Supreme Court as Senior Judge for a two-year term,
effective November 6, 2007. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University
of Colorado and his law degree from Drake University.
Senior District Associate Judge, Arlen J. Van
Zee: District 7
Judge Van Zee was appointed to the bench in
1975. He earned his bachelor's degree from Central College in Pella, Iowa, in
1970. He earned his law degree from the University of Iowa, College of Law,
graduating with Distinction in 1973. He is a member of the Clinton County Bar
Association, Iowa State Bar Association, and Iowa Judges Association. He serves
on the Juvenile Laws Committee in the Judges Association and also the Supreme
Court Advisory Committee on Rules of Juvenile Procedure. He is married with
three children and five grandchildren.
Magistrate Neva Rettig Baker
Magistrate Neva Rettig Baker, Muscatine, was
appointed to serve Muscatine County in 1997. She went to the University of Iowa
where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1984 and her law degree in 1987. She
was executive director for Muscatine Legal Services, a judicial hospitalization
referee, and is a sole practitioner. She is a member of the Muscatine County
and Iowa State Bar Associations, the Ethics Committee, Kiwanis, Muscatine
County Board of Health and a board member for Cross Roads, Inc. She and her
husband have two children.
Magistrate Corliss C. Baty
Magistrate Corliss C. Baty was appointed to
serve Jackson County in 2005.
Magistrate Ronald J. Besch
Magistrate Ronald J. Besch was appointed to
serve Jackson County in 1976.
Magistrate G. David Binegar
Magistrate G. David Binegar, Davenport, was
appointed to serve Scott County in 1993. He earned his bachelor's degree from
Iowa State University in 1976 and his law degree from the University of Iowa in
1979. He has been in private practice since 1980 and is married with three
children.
Magistrate Carrie E. Coyle
Magistrate Carrie E. Coyle, Blue Grass, was
appointed to serve Scott County in November, 2007.
Magistrate Dennis D. Jasper
Magistrate Dennis
Jasper was appointed to serve Scott County in 2005. He earned his B.D.A. Degree
from the University of Iowa in 1971, and his law degree from the University of
South Carolina in 1974. He has been in law practice since 1974 with the firm of
Stafne, Lewis and Jasper. Dennis Jasper is a member of the Scott County and
Iowa State Bar Associations. He has served as Secretary of the Scott County Bar
Association since 1988 and as a member of its Executive Council for five years.
He has also served as a participant at the Young Lawyers' Luncheon, a volunteer
participant for Mock Trials, a Davenport Civil Rights Commission Volunteer,
volunteer legal counsel representing defendants in domestic violence actions, a
participant in the Scott County Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service and a
participating attorney in the Pro Bono Program co-sponsored by HELP Legal
Assistance and the Scott County Bar Association.
Magistrate Michael M. Judge
Magistrate Michael M. Judge, Clinton, was
appointed to serve Clinton County in 1993. He earned his undergraduate degree
from Coe College in 1976 and his law degree from Drake University in 1988.
Judge served as a juvenile court referee from 1990 to 1993 and is a member of
the Clinton County and Iowa State Bar Associations. He is married with three
children.
Magistrate Thomas G. Reidel
Magistrate Thomas G. Reidel was appointed to
serve Muscatine County in 2009.
Magistrate Teresa J. Seeberger
Magistrate Teresa J. Seeberger was appointed
to serve Cedar County in 2009.
Magistrate Cynthia Zamora Taylor
Magistrate Cynthia Zamora Taylor was
appointed to serve Scott County in 1998. She received her undergraduate degree
from St. Ambrose College in 1981, and her law degree from the University of
Iowa in 1986. Taylor has been in private practice since 1988.
Magistrate Bert Watson
Magistrate Bert Watson, Dewitt, was appointed
to serve Clinton County in 1981. He earned his bachelor's degree from the
University of Northern Iowa in 1972 and his law degree from the University of
Iowa in 1976. He worked for Clinton County Legal Aid until 1981 and has since
been engaged in the private practice of law. Watson is a member of the Clinton
County, Iowa State, and American Bar Associations, and serves on the board for
the Southside Development Corporation and Dewitt Community Hospital Foundation.
He is married.
Magistrate Richard D. Wells
Magistrate Richard D. Wells was appointed to
serve Scott County in 1989.
Magistrate Stuart P. Werling
Magistrate Stuart Werling was appointed to
serve Cedar County in 1986. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University
of Iowa in 1978 and his law degree from the University of Arkansas in 1980. He
has practiced law in Tipton since 1981. Stuart Werling is a member of the Cedar
County and Iowa State Bar Associations and has served as president of the Cedar
County Bar and a Governor of the Iowa State Bar. Mr. Werling serves the Iowa
State Bar Association on the Section Council of the General Practice section
and is a member of the Real Estate, Tax and Family Law sections of the Bar. He
is a director of the Iowa Association of Magistrate Judges and a member of the
American Bar Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, the Iowa
Association of Trial Lawyers and the Dillon Inn of Court. He is the recipient
of the first Meritorious Service Award from the Judicial Department presented
in 2004. Mr. Werling is married with two children.
Magistrate Stephen P. Wing
Magistrate Stephen P. Wing was appointed to
serve Scott County in 2009.
Magistrate Thomas J. Yeggy
Magistrate Thomas Yeggy was appointed to
serve Scott County in 2009.
