Fourteen Iowans have applied with the State Judicial Nominating Commission to fill the vacancy on the Iowa Court of Appeals that will occur when Judge Richard Doyle retires on August 7, 2021.
The Iowa Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in two cases at the Chautauqua conference at Arrowwood Resort, 1405 Highway 71, Okoboji, on June 3, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. The arguments are open to the public and the court encourages people to attend. The Arrowwood Resort will require those in attendance to wear a face covering and socially distance and will provide hand-sanitizing stations throughout the building.
The court will hear attorneys argue the cases of State v. King, a Webster County case, and In re the Marriage of Angela Towne and Larry Towne, an O’Brien County case.
Des Moines, May 5, 2021— The State Judicial Nominating Commission, which is responsible for selecting nominees for appointment to the Iowa Court of Appeals, announced today it will begin accepting applications for the vacancy on the court that will occur when Judge Richard Doyle retires on August 7, 2021. The Commission received notice of the vacancy from Governor Reynolds on April 27, 2021. The Commission has sixty days to send a slate of nominees to the Governor, who makes appointments to the court.
The Iowa Supreme Court has approved $195,695.03 in grants to non-profit programs that provide legal assistance to low-income Iowans with civil legal problems. The court awarded grants to eleven different organizations throughout Iowa. The grants are funded by the Interest on Lawyers' Trust Account (IOLTA) program. With this year's grants, the supreme court has awarded more than $25 million in IOLTA grants since the program began on July 1, 1985.
The Iowa Supreme Court has selected District Judge Jeffrey D. Bert, Bettendorf, and District Judge David Nelmark, Des Moines, as Iowa Business Specialty Court judges. Judge Bert and Judge Nelmark will join Judge Lawrence P. McLellan, Judge John D. Telleen, and Judge E. Sarah Crane as business court judges. Judges Kurt J. Stoebe and Sean W. McPartland are stepping away from the business court in favor of other judicial duties. We thank them for their years of service to the Iowa Business Specialty Court.
Redistricting must occur every ten years. 2021 is one of those years. The Iowa Constitution gives the primary responsibility for reapportionment of legislative districts to the general assembly. The general assembly has adopted a nonpartisan redistricting law to perform this task. See Iowa Code ch. 42.
Court users in Iowa can now complete a name change petition online using a free, easy step-by-step process on any computer, tablet, or smartphone anywhere in the state. Anyone without easy access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone can use the public access computer at any county courthouse in Iowa.
The Iowa Judicial Branch website now has procedures that explain family law mediation and links to the required forms for each of the state’s eight judicial districts. The information is available following a July 2020 Iowa Supreme Court order requiring the judicial districts to establish or continue procedures for mandatory mediation or mandatory judicial settlement conferences in all family law cases where at least one party is represented by an attorney. The supreme court ordered that the district plans be implemented by March 1, 2021.
State Court Administrator Todd Nuccio has announced his resignation. Nuccio began his duties in September 2017. His last day will be April 30, 2021.
A public service announcement (PSA) released today informs Iowans called for jury service about the safety measures the Iowa Judicial Branch and counties are providing to ensure the health and safety of Iowans serving on juries.