Judge Petersen, Spirit Lake, was appointed to the bench in 2012. He was born and raised in Hartley, Iowa. Judge Petersen received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 1990 and his law degree from Hamline University in 1993. He practiced law in Atlantic, Iowa from 1993-2000 and served as the Cass County Magistrate Judge from 1997-2000. Judge Petersen served as the Lyon County Attorney from 2000-2012. He served as the President of the Iowa County Attorney Association in 2007. Judge Petersen is a member of the Iowa Bar Association serving on the Jury Instruction Committee and the Lyon County Bar Association. He is married and has five daughters.