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Iowa District Courts

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Not to be confused with United States District Court for the District of Iowa.

Iowa District Courts are the state trial courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Iowa.

They have original jurisdiction in civil cases with any amount in controversy; felony criminal cases, domestic relations, family law, and cases involving minors cases (including adoption, dependency, juvenile delinquency, and probate cases).

Judicial Personnel and Structure

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Judicial magistrates primarily serve their home county and have jurisdiction over simple misdemeanors, local infractions, and small claims. They have authority to order warrants, conduct preliminary hearings, and hear other simple issues. Most magistrates are attorneys, though it is not mandated by law. They serve four-year terms and are appointed by county commissions.

Associate juvenile judges only have jurisdiction over juvenile court matters. They are able to issue orders, make findings, and official decisions in juvenile cases, juvenile delinquency cases, adoption, and parental rights issues. They serve six-year terms, and are appointed by district judges for the judicial district after being selected by a county commission.

Associate probate judges have limited jurisdiction to probate cases. They are able to audit accounts, and perform other duties as ordered by the chief judge over the course of their six-year terms. They are appointed by the district court judge after having been selected by a county commission.

District associate judges have the same jurisdiction as judicial magistrates, with additional authority to hear more serious misdemeanors, civil suits up to $10,000, and certain juvenile cases. District associate judges are appointed by the district judge after having been selected by a county commission for a six-year term.

District judges have the authority to hear any case within the district. Felony criminal cases, adoptions, state administration issues, and many other matters come before these judges. These judges are appointed by the governor, from a list of nominees from a state nominating commission. The term for a district judge is six years.

Each county has a clerk of the district court who manages and maintains all trial records in the county.

Court attendants facilitate court proceedings, and aid with clerical work.

Court reporters transcribe all official statements in the courtroom, making the court record.

Juvenile court officers work with youth who are accused of delinquent acts, to oversee the treatment and restitution of the young person in question.[1]

Regions of Jurisdiction

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There are 8 judicial districts, each encompassing five or more of Iowa's 99 counties.

A map of Iowa with the eight judicial districts superimposed upon the state.
No county lines are crossed by the state judicial districts, accounting for irregular shapes and sizes

Chief Judge: Kellyann M. Lekar

Chief Judge: Kurt L. Wilke

Chief Judge: Duane E. Hoffmeyer

Chief Judge: Jeffrey L. Larson

Chief Judge: Arthur E. Gamble

Chief Judge: Marlita Greve

Chief Judge: Henry W. Latham

Chief Judge: Myron Gookin[2]

Iowa Business Specialty Court

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In December 2012, the Iowa Supreme Court created a specialized business court track pilot program, the Iowa Business Specialty Court. After annual studies and reporting, in 2016, the Supreme Court made the pilot program permanent. The judges appointed to the business court are qualified Iowa District Court judges.[3]

The Business Specialty Court has limited specialized jurisdiction, where a case must be worth over $200,000 or primarily involve equitable or declaratory relief; and the subject matter includes, among other things, technology and biotechnology disputes, internal business disputes, commercial contract claims, shareholder derivative actions, trade secrets, and other specified litigation that is business or commercial in nature. Cases may be included by the parties' joint consent or by the motion of a party to the chief judge of the district court.[4]

Seventh Judicial District Judge John Telleen was one of the three judges originally appointed to the Iowa Business Specialty Court Pilot Project in 2013,[5] and remains one of the judges on the permanent court (as of May 2024).[6] He is a Director of the American College of Business Court Judges.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Description of the Iowa Court System Archived 2013-02-13 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Iowa Judicial Branch Archived 2009-10-21 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Iowa Specialty Business Court".
  4. ^ "Iowa Business Specialty Court Report, Calendar Years 2022-2023" (PDF).
  5. ^ "Iowa Business Specialty Court Pilot Project, Initial Evaluation" (PDF). 2014.
  6. ^ "Iowa Business Specialty Court". www.iowacourts.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  7. ^ "American College of Business Court Judges – Law & Economics Center". masonlec.org. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
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