Nineteen Iowans have applied with the State Judicial Nominating Commission to fill the vacancy on the Iowa Supreme Court that occurred when Justice Daryl Hecht retired December 13, 2018. Among the applicants, from this area, was: Patrick Tott, District Court Judge, Third Judicial District, Sioux City; and Molly Weber, Assistant Attorney General, Iowa Attorney General’s Office, Adel.

The nominating commission will meet Wednesday, January 30, in the Iowa Supreme Court Courtroom on the fourth floor of the Judicial Branch Building to interview the applicants who were not previously interviewed for the vacancy created when Justice Bruce Zager retired last fall. An interview schedule will be posted on the Iowa Judicial Nominating Commissions website.

The public is invited to observe the interviews in the courtroom. The interviews will be live streamed and the videos archived on the Iowa Judicial Branch YouTube channel.

Immediately following the interviews, the commission will begin deliberations to select a slate of three nominees from the group of applicants.  Once the commission selects its slate of nominees, the commission will forward those names to the governor. The governor will then have thirty (30) days in which to appoint the new justice.

With the exception of the commission chair, membership on the commission is limited to one six-year term. Terms are staggered. The Iowa Constitution requires that commission members be chosen without regard to political affiliation.