I am eager for the day I can write my column for the judicial branch newsletter without including information on how COVID-19 is effecting our shared mission to bring equal justice to all. I cannot wait for the day we can safely take down all of the Plexiglas shields and leave those pesky masks at home. Sadly, we are not there, yet, and we will begin the new year with many of the same precautions we’ve had in place since 2020.
I am excited for the opportunity to work as your new state court administrator. Many of you know that I was the District Court Administrator in the Fourth Judicial District for the past two years but you probably don’t know that I was born in Iowa and have lived in eight different Iowa counties in my lifetime. I truly enjoy traveling around the state and discovering new places and hidden gems. When I was in the Fourth District, I made a point to visit courthouses in all nine of our counties. As state court administrator, I plan to continue to visit courthouses around the state.
To celebrate his retirement, John reflected on some of his favorite projects and memories from his time at the judicial branch.
The Iowa Supreme Court marked a decade of traveling to communities around the state to hear oral arguments when it visited Oskaloosa last September. In the past ten years, the court has heard oral arguments in 31 communities and visited 200 schools, universities, and colleges.
Question: How many questions do clerks’ offices receive from the public every week?
Answer: Tons!
In 2021, the Judicial Branch IT (JBIT) Department made the switch to JB Connect and transitioned away from the HelpDesk email service.
Iowa Judicial Branch Hires and Departures from June 2021 to December 2021.