Title XV, JUDICIAL BRANCH AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURES (Ch. 595 - 686D)

Costs to be collected and awarded in the court of appeals shall be as prescribed from time to time by the supreme court. Fees and costs may be awarded to a party to the appeal in the discretion of the court of appeals. A fee shall not be charged for the docketing of a matter in t…

1. The clerk of the supreme court or a deputy of that clerk shall act as clerk of the court of appeals. The clerk of the court of appeals shall keep a complete record of the proceedings of that court, shall collect the fees and costs prescribed by the supreme court, and shall acc…

Each judge of the court of appeals may employ one personal secretary. 83 Acts, ch 186, §6202, 10201

The court of appeals may employ attorneys or graduates of a reputable law school to act as legal assistants to the court. 83 Acts, ch 186, §6203, 10201 ; 83 Acts, ch 204, §13 ; 97 Acts, ch 128, §1

The state court administrator shall obtain suitable facilities for the court of appeals at the seat of state government. To the extent practicable, the court administrator shall utilize existing supreme court facilities. 83 Acts, ch 186, §6204, 10201

1. Each judge of the court of appeals shall be provided personal office space and equipment, and facilities for a secretary and law clerk at the seat of state government only. Each judge may choose whether to reside at the seat of government or elsewhere. The court administrator …

A unified trial court is established. This court is the “Iowa District Court”. The district court has exclusive, general, and original jurisdiction of all actions, proceedings, and remedies, civil, criminal, probate, and juvenile, except in cases where exclusive or concurrent jur…

The district court has jurisdiction in appeals and writs of error taken in civil and criminal actions and special proceedings authorized to be taken from tribunals, boards, or officers under the laws of this state, and has general supervision thereof, in all matters, to prevent a…

The district court of each judicial district shall be in continuous session for all of the several counties comprising the district. 83 Acts, ch 186, §7103, 10201 ; 92 Acts, ch 1164, §3

1. The jurisdiction of the Iowa district court shall be exercised by district judges, district associate judges, associate juvenile judges, associate probate judges, and magistrates. 2. Judicial officers of the district court shall not sit together in the trial of causes nor upon…

1. Courts shall be held at the places in each county maintaining space for the district court as designated by the chief judge of the judicial district, or held by remote means of communication, except that the determination of actions, special proceedings, and other matters not …

When court is held at a place that is not the county seat, all of the provisions of the Code relating to district courts are applicable, except as follows: All proceedings in the court have, within the territory over which the court has jurisdiction, the same force and effect as …

1. The supreme court shall, beginning January 1, 2012, and at least every ten years thereafter, review the division of the state into judicial districts and judicial election districts in order to determine whether the composition or the total number of the judicial districts and…

The chief justice of the supreme court shall assign judicial officers and court employees from one judicial district to another, on a continuing basis if need be, in order to handle the judicial business in all districts promptly and efficiently at all times. 83 Acts, ch 186, §71…

1. The reorganized judicial election districts established pursuant to section 602.6107 shall be used solely for purposes of nomination, appointment, and retention of judges of the district court. 2. If the judicial election districts are reorganized under section 602.6107 , the …

1. A peer review court may be established in each judicial district to divert certain juvenile offenders from the criminal or juvenile justice systems. The court shall consist of a qualified adult to act as judge while the duties of prosecutor, defense counsel, court attendant, c…

1. Any party, other than the state or a political subdivision of the state, filing a petition or complaint, answer, appearance, first motion, or any document filed with the clerk of the district court which brings a new party into a proceeding shall provide the clerk of the distr…

The judicial branch shall not establish regional litigation centers. 2003 Acts, ch 151, §37

Notwithstanding section 602.6201 , 602.6301 , 602.6304 , 602.7103B , or 633.20B , if a vacancy occurs in the office of a district judge, district associate judge, associate juvenile judge, or associate probate judge, and the chief justice of the supreme court makes a finding that…

1. District judges shall be nominated and appointed and shall stand for retention in office as provided in chapter 46 . District judges shall qualify for office as provided in chapter 63 . 2. A district judge must be a resident of the judicial election district or a resident of a…

District judges have the full jurisdiction of the district court, including the respective jurisdictions of district associate judges and magistrates. While exercising the jurisdiction of magistrates, district judges shall employ magistrates’ practice and procedure. 83 Acts, ch 1…

1. The supreme court shall prescribe, subject to the restrictions of this section , a formula to determine the number of district associate judges who will serve in each judicial election district. The formula shall be based upon a model that measures and applies an estimated cas…

1. The chief judge of the judicial district may designate by order of substitution that a district associate judge be appointed pursuant to this section in lieu of magistrates appointed under section 602.6403 , subject to the following limitations: a. The county in which the dist…

1. The chief judge of the judicial district may designate by order of substitution that three magistrates be appointed pursuant to this section in lieu of the appointment of a district associate judge under section 602.6304 , subject to the following limitations: a. The substitut…

1. The district associate judges authorized by sections 602.6301 and 602.6302 shall be appointed by the governor from persons nominated by the district judicial nominating commission in the same manner as district judges under chapter 46 . 2. A district associate judge who seeks …

1. District associate judges shall serve initial terms and shall stand for retention in office within the judicial election districts of their appointment at the judicial election under sections 46.16 through 46.24 . 2. A person does not qualify for appointment to the office of d…

1. District associate judges have the jurisdiction provided in section 602.6405 for magistrates, and when exercising that jurisdiction shall employ magistrates’ practice and procedure. 2. District associate judges also have jurisdiction in civil actions for money judgment where t…

1. The chief judge of a judicial district may designate by order of substitution that a district associate judge be appointed pursuant to this section in lieu of a full-time associate juvenile judge appointed under section 602.7103B , subject to the following limitations: a. An e…

1. Two hundred six magistrates shall be apportioned among the counties as provided in this section . Magistrates appointed pursuant to section 602.6303 or 602.6402 shall not be counted for purposes of this section . 2. By February of each year in which magistrates’ terms expire, …

In those counties which are allotted one magistrate under section 602.6401 or which are restricted to one magistrate by section 602.6302 , the county magistrate appointing commission may, by majority vote, decide to appoint one additional magistrate. If a county appoints an addit…

1. By June 1 of each year in which magistrates’ terms expire, the county magistrate appointing commission shall appoint, except as otherwise provided in section 602.6302 , the number of magistrates apportioned to the county by the state court administrator under section 602.6401 …

1. A magistrate shall be a resident of the judicial election district or a resident of a county contiguous to the judicial election district in which appointed during the magistrate’s term of office. A magistrate shall serve within the judicial district in which appointed, as dir…

1. Magistrates have jurisdiction of simple misdemeanors regardless of the amount of the fine, including traffic and ordinance violations, and preliminary hearings, search warrant proceedings, county and municipal infractions, and small claims. Magistrates have jurisdiction to det…

1. A magistrate appointing commission is established in each county. The commission shall be composed of the following members: a. A district judge designated by the chief judge of the judicial district to serve until a successor is designated. b. Three members appointed by the b…

A member of a county magistrate appointing commission shall not be appointed to the office of magistrate. A member of the commission shall not be eligible to vote for the appointment or nomination of a family member, current law partner, or current business partner. For purposes …

1. The board of supervisors of each county shall appoint three electors to the magistrate appointing commission for the county for six-year terms beginning January 1, 1979, and each sixth year thereafter. However, if there is only one attorney elected pursuant to section 602.6504…

1. The resident attorneys of each county shall elect two resident attorneys of the county to the magistrate appointing commission for six-year terms beginning on January 1, 1979, and each sixth year thereafter. An election shall be held in December preceding the commencement of n…

A vacancy in the office of magistrate appointing commissioner shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment was made. 83 Acts, ch 186, §7505, 10201

1. The district court administrator of each judicial district shall employ and supervise court attendants as authorized by the chief judge. 2. A court attendant shall assist judicial officers during proceedings in court and shall perform other duties as prescribed by the supreme …

A person who is appointed as a referee or special master, or who otherwise is appointed by a court pursuant to law or court rule to exercise a judicial function, is subject to the supervision of the judicial officer making the appointment. 83 Acts, ch 186, §7602, 10201 Referred t…

1. a. The chief judge of a judicial district or the chief judge’s designee shall have the authority to supervise, schedule, and assign duties to all court reporters in the judicial district. b. Notwithstanding paragraph “a” , a judge presiding over a proceeding that must be repor…

1. The clerk of the district court shall furnish a magistrate, district associate judge, or district judge acting as a magistrate, with a docket in which the officer shall enter all proceedings except small claims. The docket shall be indexed and shall contain for each case the t…

Whenever a magistrate, or a district associate judge or district judge acting as a magistrate, leaves office, all funds, dockets, and records relating to the vacated office shall be delivered by the judicial officer to the clerk who issued the docket. 83 Acts, ch 186, §7607, 1020…

1. The chief judge may appoint and may remove for cause with due process a referee to preside over child support proceedings. 2. Qualifications for a referee appointed under this section include, at a minimum, all of the following: a. The referee shall be an attorney currently li…

1. The district court shall succeed to and have jurisdiction over the records of the circuit court, and may enforce all judgments, decrees, and orders of the circuit court in the same manner and to the same extent as it exercises jurisdiction over its own records, and, for the pu…

The jurisdiction of the courts of the state in all civil and criminal actions and proceedings, shall extend in counties bordering on the Missouri river to the boundary of the state as provided in the compact with the state of Nebraska, and to all lands and territory lying along t…