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Iowa State Bar: All 72 judges should be retained

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October 6th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa State Bar Association says all 72 judges on the November ballot should be retained. The association Monday released the results of a member survey that found all 72 were well qualified, receiving high marks for their professionalism and demeanor.

More than 1,100 lawyers statewide answered questions about judges. They ranked them from very poor to excellent on questions such as their knowledge of the law and the promptness of their rulings. A vast majority of respondents said all 70 district judges and two appeals court judges should stay in office.

More than 70 percent of the 40 lawyers who ranked Judge Emily Dean said she should be retained. The Iowa Supreme Court last month suspended her for 30 days showing up drunk to the job in 2012.