Chief Justice Susan Christensen has appointed District Court Judge Craig Dreismeier, Council Bluffs, as chief judge of the Fourth Judicial District. Judge Dreismeier succeeds Chief Judge Jeffrey Larson who will retire July 1, 2024. Judge Dreismeier will begin the position of chief judge July 2, 2024.
“Judge Dreismeier and I served as judges together in the Fourth Judicial District for several years so I know him well and have no doubt that he will be an excellent chief judge,” Chief Justice Christensen said. “He has all the qualifications needed for the job. He is smart, hardworking, thoughtful, and he gets along with everyone. He’ll be an outstanding leader for the district.”
Judge Dreismeier was appointed to the bench as a district court judge in 2018. He served as a district associate judge from 2010 until 2018. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he received his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 1989. In 1992, Judge Dreismeier earned his law degree from Creighton University School of Law. From 1992 until 2010 he was in private practice also serving as an assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney from 1995-1996. Judge Dreismeier is a member of The Iowa State Bar Association.
“It is an honor to have been selected as the next Chief Judge of the Fourth Judicial District,” Judge Dreismeier said. “I’d like to thank Chief Justice Christensen and the justices of the Iowa Supreme Court for their confidence in this appointment. I’ve been truly humbled by the overwhelming support from my colleagues on the bench and from all the individuals who work within the Fourth Judicial District. Chief Judge Jeff Larson has set a high standard as chief in our district, and I want to thank him for his support and years of service in our district. I hope to keep pace with his high standards as we move forward.”
As chief judge, Judge Dreismeier will supervise all judicial officers and court employees in the district, supervise the performance of administrative and judicial business in the district, set the times and places of holding court, designate presiding judges, and serve on the judicial council, which advises the supreme court on administrative matters affecting the trial courts. In addition, he will continue to preside over cases.
The Fourth Judicial District is in southwest Iowa and comprises nine counties: Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby. The district has nine district judges, five district associate judges, 11 part-time magistrates, and 127 employees, with an operating budget for the current fiscal year of approximately $12 million. A total of 51,992 cases were filed in the Fourth Judicial District last year.