Judge Peterson was appointed to the bench in August of 2018. He received his undergraduate degree from Iowa State University in 2000 and his law degree with honors from Drake University Law School in 2003. During his final year at Drake Law School, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law. Judge Peterson was in private practice in Burlington from 2003 through 2006. He served as Assistant Washington County Attorney from 2006 until 2010. In 2010, he established a private practice in Winfield and was also appointed as a part-time Magistrate for Henry County in January of 2017, both of which he continued until his appointment as a District Court Judge.