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Judges and Magistrates

Lars G. Anderson

Chief Judge

Judge Anderson, Iowa City, was appointed to the bench in July 2014. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Luther College in 1992 and his law degree, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1995. Prior to being appointed to the bench, he was in private practice...

Jason D. Besler

District Court Judge

Judge Besler, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the bench on June 21, 2018. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Luther College in 1996 and his law degree with Distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1999. In law school he served as Student...

Christopher L. Bruns

District Court Judge

Judge Bruns, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the bench on December 17, 2014. He earned his bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from Drake University in 1988 and his law degree from Drake Law School in 1991, Order of the Coif. After graduation from law school, Judge Bruns was...

Valerie Clay

District Court Judge

Judge Clay of Linn County was appointed to the bench on September 22, 2021. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Iowa in 1997. She then earned her Juris Doctorate at the University Of Maryland Law School in 2006. After graduation from law...

Andrew B. Chappell

District Court Judge

Judge Chappell, Iowa City, was appointed to the bench on February 10, 2017. He earned his Bachelor of Arts with High Honors in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracies from James Madison College at Michigan State University in 1994 and his Juris Doctor with Honors from the University of Iowa College...

David Cox

District Court Judge

Judge Cox of Johnson County was appointed to the bench on February 18, 2022. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Iowa in 2004, and attended the University of Iowa Law School, graduating with honors in 2007. After graduation from law school, Judge Cox...

Fae Hoover-Grinde

District Court Judge

Judge Hoover-Grinde, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the bench as a district associate judge on December 9, 2003. In 2007 she was appointed to the bench as a district court judge. She was born in St. Ansgar, Iowa, and raised in Marion, Iowa. She received her undergraduate degree from Cornell...

Chad A. Kepros

District Court Judge

Judge Kepros, North Liberty, was appointed to the district court bench in February 2015. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Coe College in 1993 and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1996, with high honors. He worked as a private attorney and mediator in...

Justin Lightfoot

District Court Judge

Judge Lightfoot, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the bench on March 25, 2021. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Criminal Justice Studies from Iowa State University in 2003, and his Juris Doctor with high distinction, Order of the Coif, from the University of Iowa College of...

Kevin McKeever

District Court Judge

Judge McKeever, Iowa City, was appointed to the bench on September 30, 2015. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University in 1991 and his law degree from the University of Iowa in 2001. Prior to being appointed to the bench, he was an Officer with the United States Navy...

Sean W. McPartland

District Court Judge

Judge Sean W. McPartland is a district court judge in the Sixth Judicial District of Iowa, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Judge McPartland was appointed to the district court bench in 2008 after practicing in general civil litigation with law firms in Kansas City, Missouri (1984-1989) and in Cedar Rapids,...

Paul D. Miller

District Court Judge

Judge Miller, Iowa City, was appointed to the district court bench in June 2010. He received his bachelor’s degree with highest honors from the University of Northern Iowa in 1973. He received his law degree with distinction from the University of Iowa in 1976. He practiced law for 34 years...

Ian K. Thornhill

District Court Judge

Judge Thornhill, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the district court bench September 25, 2009, and began his career as a district judge October 23, 2009. He received his B.B.A., from The University of Iowa in 1989. In 1991 he received his M.B.A. from The University of Iowa, and in 1998...

Joan Black

District Associate Judge

Judge Black was appointed to the District 6 Bench on December 6, 2021. Judge Black comes to the bench with an extensive background in child services. Prior to attending Drake Law School in 2004 she was in the child services field for 20 years. She graduated from the University of...

Carrie Bryner

District Associate Judge

Judge Bryner, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the bench on July 24, 2020. She earned her B.A. in Business Administration from Hillsdale College in 1991, and her law degree from the University of Toledo, College of Law, in 1997. After graduation from law school, she worked as an Assistant Cedar...

Jason A. Burns

District Associate Judge

Judge Burns, Iowa City, was appointed to the bench on August 18, 2015. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Justice Systems from Truman State University in 1999 and his Juris Doctorate degree, with distinction, from the University of Iowa in 2002. He was an Assistant Linn...

Heidi Ann Carmer

District Associate Judge

Judge Carmer was appointed to the bench in August 2021. She graduated from Cornell College in 1998 and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2002. Prior to her appointment, she worked as Assistant Linn County Attorney from August 2003 to July 2021.

Cynthia S. Finley

District Associate Judge

Cynthia S. Finley, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the district associate court bench in December 2018. Judge Finley presides over Juvenile Court proceedings in Linn and Benton Counties, as well as Linn County Family Treatment Court. She earned her undergraduate degree from Clemson University in 1984 and her law degree...

Casey D. Jones

District Associate Judge

Judge Jones, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the bench as a district associate judge in 2007. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell College in 1987 and his law degree from the University of Iowa in 1990. Prior to being appointed, Judge Jones worked as a Federal Public Defender and...

Russell Glen Keast

District Associate Judge

Judge Keast, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the bench as a district associate judge in 2006. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 1982 and his law degree from Drake University in 1985. He was in private practice after obtaining his law degree and served as...

Angeline Johnston

District Associate Judge

Judge Johnston, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the bench in 2007. Judge Johnston received her undergraduate degree from Luther College, cum laude, in 1989, and her law degree, with honors, from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1992. Judge Johnston started her legal career in private practice in...

Brandon Schrock

District Associate Judge

Judge Schrock was appointed to the District 6 bench on January 25, 2023. Prior to his appointment he served as a staff attorney for the Linn County Advocate from 2005 to 2023. Judge Schrock earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Iowa College of Liberal...

Nicholas L. Scott

District Associate Judge

Judge Scott, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the bench as a district associate judge in 2016. He graduated from the Iowa College of Law in 2001. When not working for the people of the great State of Iowa; he enjoys beekeeping, raising hens, tapping maple trees, gardening, running, and reading.

Marsha Bergan

Senior Judge

Judge Bergan was appointed to serve Johnson County as a magistrate in 1988. She was appointed to serve as a District Court Judge in 2007. She earned her bachelor's degree from Luther College in 1973 and her law degree from the University of Iowa in 1977. Judge Bergan served as...

Patrick R. Grady

Senior Judge

Judge Grady, Cedar Rapids, was appointed as a full-time juvenile referee in 1989, was appointed to the district court bench in 1995, and was named Chief Judge of the Sixth Judicial District in 2009. He was born in Davenport, Iowa, and attended Creighton University, where he received his bachelor's degree...

Deborah Farmer Minot

Senior Judge

From 2010 to 2023, Judge Minot served as a District Associate Judge, presiding over criminal and juvenile cases in Johnson and Jones Counties. She was appointed as Senior Judge in 2023. Judge Minot is a member of the Iowa Judges Association and a fellow of the Georgetown University Center for...

Robert E. Sosalla

Senior Judge

Judge Sosalla, Marion, was appointed to bench as a district associate judge in 1982. On October 30, 2003, he was appointed as a district court judge. Born in Carrington, North Dakota, he earned his undergraduate degree from Wayne State College in Nebraska. In 1972 he received his law degree from...

Mitchell E. Turner

Senior Judge

Judge Turner, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the district court bench in 2005. He attended the University of Minnesota and received his bachelor's degree in 1976. He earned his law degree from The University of Iowa in 1979. He has spent 26 years in private practice. Judge Turner is a...

Kevin Ahrenholz

Magistrate: Benton County

Magistrate Ahrenholz, Benton County, was appointed to the bench in 2015. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wheaton College in 1990 and his law degree from Marquette University in 1993. He has been in private practice since receiving his law degree.

Christine Boyer

Magistrate

Magistrate Boyer, Iowa City, was appointed to serve as the newly added sixth magistrate position in Johnson County in August 2017. She earned her B.A. degree in Art History from the University of Michigan. She received her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law. She was a member...

Kristin Denniger

Magistrate: Jones County

Magistrate Denninger, Jones County, was appointed to the bench on August 3, 2018. She earned her B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1992 and her law degree from the University of Iowa in 1995. After graduation from law school, she worked as an Assistant County Attorney with Allamakee County...

Karen D. Egerton

Magistrate

Magistrate Egerton, Coralville, was appointed to serve Johnson County in 2005. She earned her undergraduate degree from Coe College in Cedar Rapids in 1992 and her law degree from the University of Iowa in 1996. She served as an Assistant Johnson County Attorney from 1996 through 2001 and has been...

Mark Fisher

Magistrate

Magistrate Fisher, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the bench on December 21, 2018. He earned his Associate of Science in Business Administration from Des Moines Area Community College in 2002, Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies from Arizona State University in 2004, summa cum laude, and his Juris Doctor from...

Jonathan Hammond

Magistrate

Magistrate Hammond was appointed to serve Linn County in 2017. He received his B.A. in History from the University of Iowa and his J.D., with distinction, from the University Of Iowa College Of Law in 1984. He was an Assistant Linn County Attorney from 1984 -1987 and a staff attorney...

Ann Kuhter

Magistrate

Magistrate Ann Kuhter was appointed to serve Tama County in 1997. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1986. Magistrate Kuhter is the last non-attorney Magistrate to serve in the state of Iowa.

Robert J. Leinen

Magistrate

Magistrate Leinen was appointed to serve Iowa County in 1993. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University in 1979 and graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1982. He has been in private practice in Marengo and North English since 1982. He is...

Robin L. O'Brien Licht

Magistrate

Magistrate O'Brien Licht, Cedar Rapids, was appointed to serve Linn County September 18, 2006. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 1991. She received her law degree from the University of Northern Ohio in 1995 and MBA from the University of Northern Iowa in 1999. She...

Mark Neary

Magistrate

Magistrate Neary was appointed to serve Johnson County in 2022. Prior to that he served Muscatine County as a Magistrate since 2017. He earned his B.A. in finance from the University of Iowa in 1985 and then graduated from the University of Iowa with his Juris Doctorate in 1988. He...

Sarah Dooley Rothman

Magistrate

Kandyce J. Smolik

Magistrate

Magistrate Smolik was appointed to serve Iowa County on August 1, 2009. She received her B.A. from the University of Iowa in 2000 and her graduate degree from Vermont Law School in 2003.

Chad W. Thomas

Magistrate

Magistrate Thomas, Iowa City, was appointed to serve Johnson County in June 2013. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1993 and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1996. He worked at a small firm in Washington, Iowa, for two...

Mark Thompson

Magistrate

Magistrate Thompson was appointed in 2016. He received his B.A. from Luther College and his J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law. He worked as a contract attorney for the State of Iowa Public Defender for seven years, and worked as the Johnson County Drug Treatment Court defense...

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