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Iowa Judicial Branch New Hires (January 2022-June 2022)
District 5 Court Administrator, Marques Wilson
April 1, 2022
District 6 Court Administrator, Lena Heit
April 29, 2022
Deputy Director of Human Resources, Jill Knuth
June 22, 2022
District Court Judge Joshua Schier
February 15, 2022
District Associate Judge Joan Black
January 4, 2022
District Associate Judge Jonathon Stensvaag
February 22, 2022
District Associate Judge Hans Becker
March 3, 2022
District Associate Judge Justin Wyatt
March 18, 2022
District Associate Judge Donna Bothwell
April 1, 2022
Magistrate David Hanson
January 21, 2022
Magistrate Dana Copell
February, 28, 2022
Magistrate Kley DeJong
March 1, 2022
Magistrate Christopher Foster
March 24, 2022
Iowa Judicial Branch Departures (January 2022-June 2022)
Supreme Court Justice Brent R. Appel
July 12, 2022
Court of Appels Judge Michael R. Mullins
January 13, 2022
Judge Mullins, Washington, was appointed to the Court of Appeals in June 2011. He received his bachelor’s degree from Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, Missouri, in 1974; his M.S.W. from the University of Iowa in 1976; and he was editor-in-chief of Drake Law Review and graduated with honors, Order of Coif, from Drake University Law School in 1982.
Director of Finance Jon Cleereman
June 9, 2022
District 1 Court Administrator Linda Nilges
April 28, 2022
Chief District Court Judge Mary Ann Brown
December 31, 2021
Chief Judge Brown, Burlington, was appointed to the bench in 2001 and as Chief Judge of the 8th Judicial District in 2012. She was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. She attended Drake University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in 1981 and her law degree in 1984.
District Court Judge Mark E. Kruse
February 14, 2022
District Court Judge James S. Heckerman
February 28, 2022
Judge Heckerman, Council Bluffs, was appointed to the bench in 1996. He was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and earned his bachelor's degree from Iowa State University in 1972. In 1974 he graduated with his law degree from Creighton University.
District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Poulson
July 7, 2022
Judge Poulson, Sioux City, worked in private practice in Sioux City, Iowa from February 1977 to December, 2010. He graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Arts with honors in 1974 and from Drake University Law School in December, 1976.
Senior Judge Robert A. Hutchison
January 6, 2022
Judge Hutchison, Runnells, was appointed to the bench in 1990. Born in Prairie City, Iowa, he earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1971. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1974 with his law degree and worked at a private law firm until his appointment to the bench.
Senior Judge Carl D. Baker
January 31, 2022
Senior Judge Lawrence E. Jahn
January 31, 2022
Judge Jahn, Ames, was appointed as a District Associate Judge effective October, 2005. As a graduate of the University of Illinois, he earned his bachelor's degree in 1972 and his master's in 1976. In 1982 he received his law degree from the University of Iowa and practiced law with a private firm.
Magistrate Dana E. Christiansen
January 3, 2022
Magistrate Dan W. Pluim
February 28, 2022
Magistrate William Ranniger
July 8, 2022