Judges and Magistrates

Judge Lekar, Waterloo, was appointed to the bench in 2005. She received her bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in 1990 and her law degree from the University of Iowa in 1993. She was in private practice prior to her appointment to the bench. Judge Lekar is a member of...

Judge Anderson-Seeber was appointed to the bench in 2020. She received her undergraduate degree in English with a minor in Business Administration from Viterbo University in 1988 and her law degree from Drake University Law School in 1991. Prior to her appointment, Judge Anderson-Seeber served as Chief Local Public Defender...

Judge Bitter, Dubuque, was appointed to the bench in 2011. He received his undergraduate degree from Loras College in 1993 and his law degree from the University of Iowa in 1996. Judge Bitter was in private practice in Dubuque prior to being appointed to the bench. He currently serves on...

Judge Dalrymple, Waterloo, was appointed to the bench in 2012. He was born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa, and graduated magna cum laude in 1993 from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. In 1996, he earned his law degree from Drake University Law School. Before being appointed to the bench, Judge...

Judge Dryer, Cedar Falls, was appointed to the bench in 2011. She is a University of Iowa graduate, where she received both her undergraduate degree and law degree. Before being appointed to the bench, Judge Dryer had worked in the Waterloo public defender’s office since 2004. Prior to working for...

Linda M. Fangman was appointed District Court Judge for District 1B in October 2015. Prior to that appointment, Judge Fangman was the Black Hawk County Attorney, an Assistant Black Hawk County Attorney and an Assistant Marshall County Attorney, prosecuting for over 20 years. Judge Fangman earned her JD from Drake...

Judge Heavens, Garnavillo, was appointed to the bench by Governor Kim Reynolds in February 2019. He graduated from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, cum laude in 2007 and received his law degree from the same institution in 2010. He was elected as Clayton County Attorney in 2010 and...

Judge Odekirk, Black Hawk, was appointed to the bench in 2015. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1989, and his law degree from the same institution in 1993. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Odekirk was in private practice from 1995 until 2015....

Judge Parrish was appointed to the bench in 2019. She received her undergraduate degree from Cornell College in 2001 and her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2004. Before being appointed to the bench, she worked in private practice for fifteen years at the law firm...

Judge Shubatt, Dubuque, was appointed to the bench in 2008. He attended the University of Iowa where he received his undergraduate degree in 1987, and his law degree in 1990. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was a shareholder in the Dubuque law firm of Fuerste, Carew, Coyle,...

Judge Staudt, Waterloo, was appointed to the bench in 2010. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1990 from the University of Iowa, and his law degree in 1993 from Drake University Law School. Judge Staudt was in private practice until joining the Waterloo public defender’s office in 1997 where he...

District Court Judge, Richard D. Stochl: District 1B Judge Stochl, New Hampton, was appointed to the bench in 2007. He graduated summa cum laude from Western Illinois University in 1986. He obtained his Law Degree from the University of Iowa in 1989. Prior to his appointment to the bench he...

Judge Sullivan was appointed to the district court bench in December 2021. He received his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in 1993 and his Juris Doctorate from Creighton University School of Law in 1996. Prior to his appointment, Judge Sullivan clerked in Judicial District 1B from 1996-1998, worked as...

District Court Judge Monica Zrinyi Ackley, Dubuque, was appointed to serve Dubuque County in 1997 as a magistrate and to the district court bench in 2003. She attended the University of San Diego, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1986 and her law degree in 1990. She worked as...

Judge Eichman was appointed to the bench for Black Hawk county in May 2018. She received her undergraduate degree in 1986 and her JD from the University of Iowa School of Law in 1989. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Eichman served as Assistant Public Defender in the...

Judge Hostager, Dubuque, was appointed to the bench in 2013. He received his undergraduate degree in 1984 from Luther College. In 1988, he graduated with distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law and also received a MBA degree. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Hostager taught...

Judge Jacobsen, was appointed to the bench in 2017. He received his undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College and his law degree from University of Minnesota Law School in 1999. Prior to his appointment, he was in private practice from 2002 through 2004. He served as Assistant County attorney for...

Judge Nicol, West Union, was appointed to the bench in 2018. She received her undergraduate degree from Luther College in 1987 and her law degree from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1990. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Nicol served as a Staff Attorney at the Legal...

Judge Rattenborg, Manchester, was appointed to the bench in August of 2013. Prior to her appointment, she served as a magistrate in Delaware County since 1996. Judge Rattenborg graduated from the University of Iowa in 1990 with her bachelor's degree, and earned her law degree from Drake University in 1994....

Judge Richter, Sherrill, was appointed to the bench in 2011. He received his undergraduate degree from St. Ambrose University in 2000, and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2003. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Richter was an assistant county attorney in...

Judge Wagner, Waterloo, was appointed to the bench in August 2021. She received her undergraduate degree from Wartburg College in 2001 and her law degree from Drake University Law School in 2004. Prior to her appointment, she worked as an assistant county attorney for Black Hawk county.

Judge Wegman was appointed to the bench in 2017. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 1991 and his law degree from Drake Law School in 1994. Prior to being appointed to the bench he was in private practice in Des Moines and Charles City. He...

Judge Block, Cedar Falls, was appointed to the bench in 1997. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 1985. In 1989 he graduated from Creighton University and began his law career serving as assistant Black Hawk county attorney from 1990-1996. He was in private practice from...

Judge Thomas Straka, Peosta, was appointed to serve Dubuque County as a magistrate in 2005, and appointed to the bench as an Associate Juvenile Judge in 2006. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1991, and his law degree from Creighton University School of Law...

Judge Bauercamper, Waukon, was appointed to the bench in 1986. Born in Cresco, Iowa, he received his bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1970 and his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1973. He practiced law privately, as well as serving as Allamakee County attorney...

Judge Callahan, Cedar Falls, was appointed to the bench in 2000. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1979 and his law degree from Lewis and Clark in 1984. Judge Callahan served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1972 to 1976. After graduating from law school,...

Judge Coil, Cedar Falls, was appointed to the bench in 1986. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, he received his bachelor's degree from Simpson College in 1973 and his law degree from Creighton University in 1977. Judge Coil served in the Iowa Air National Guard from 1970 to 1978. After graduating,...

Magistrate Andy Abbott was appointed to serve Black Hawk County in 2017. He received his undergraduate degree from University of Northern Iowa in 1998 and his law degree from University of Iowa in 2002. He practices law in Iowa and is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association and...

Magistrate Matthew Boleyn was appointed to serve Dubuque County in 2017. He received his undergraduate degree from Clarke University in 2008 and his law degree from University of St. Thomas School of Law in 2012. He has been in private practice in Dubuque since 2012.

Magistrate Heather Feldkamp was appointed to serve Black Hawk County in 2018. She received her undergraduate degree from University of Minnesota in 1995 and her law degree from Drake University in 1997. She has been self-employed.

Magistrate Mary Beth Fleming was appointed to serve Dubuque County in 2017. She received her undergraduate degree from St. Xavier University in 1991 and her law degree from University of Iowa in 1995. She has worked in private practice since 1995.

Magistrate Guernsey was appointed to the bench in November 2019. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 1973 and his J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1976. He is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, Black Hawk County Bar Association,...

Magistrate Joseph Haskovec, Lime Springs, was appointed Howard County Magistrate effective April 01, 2012. He earned his undergraduate degree with high honors from the University of Northern Iowa in 1982 and his law degree with distinction from the University of Iowa in 1985. He served as Assistant Howard County from...

Magistrate James J. Katcher, Cedar Falls, was appointed to serve in Buchanan County in 2023. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1985 and his law degree from the University of Iowa in 1988. Magistrate Katcher was an associate with a law firm in Ames...

Magistrate Benjamin Lange was appointed to serve Buchanan County in 2013.

Magistrate Rick Lubben was appointed to serve Black Hawk County in 2018. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 1980 and his law degree from Drake University in 1983. He has been in private practice in La Porte City since 1983.

Magistrate Joseph Goodwin Martin was appointed to serve Black Hawk County in 2017. He received his undergraduate degree from University of Northern Iowa in 2004 and his law degree from Drake University in in 2007. He has been in private practice since 2007. Judge Martin is a member of the...

Magistrate Whitney Middleton, Cedar Falls, was appointed to serve Black Hawk County in 2023. She earned her undergraduate degrees from East Carolina University in 2012 and her law degree from the University of Iowa in 2015. Magistrate Middleton has been in private practice since 2018 and is a certified family...

Magistrate Nathaniel C. Moonen was appointed to serve Winneshiek County in November of 2014. Magistrate Moonen was born and raised in Dubuque County and moved to Winneshiek County in 2011. He received his Juris Doctorate in 2004 from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and has been practicing in the Moonen...

Magistrate Barry S. Mueller, Postville, was appointed to serve Allamakee County in 1981. He received his undergraduate degree from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1976 and his law degree from Drake University in 1980. He practices law in Iowa and is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association and Judicial...

Magistrate Richardson was appointed to serve Dubuque County in 2016. She received her undergraduate degree from University of Iowa in 1998 and her law degree in 2004. Magistrate Richardson has been in private practice since 1998.

Magistrate Christine B. Skilton was appointed to serve Chickasaw County in 1993. She received her undergraduate degree in 1980 and her law degree in 1983, both from Drake University. Magistrate Skilton practiced law in Kentucky and Virginia, and returned to Iowa in 1992 to join Cronin, Skilton & Skilton, P.L.L.C....

Magistrate Justin Vorwald, Elkader, was appointed to serve as Clayton County Magistrate in 2013. He earned his undergraduate degree from Loras College in 2007 and his law degree from the University of Iowa in 2010. Magistrate Vorwald is also in private practice in Elkader. He is a member of the...

Magistrate Julian West was appointed to serve Buchanan County in 2017. He received his undergraduate degree from Grinnell College in 2006 and his law degree in 2011 from the University of Iowa College of Law, with distinction.