Federal Judge Strikes Down Iowa’s Gender Balance Law on Judicial Nominating Commission

DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal judge has ruled that a decades-old Iowa law requiring gender balance on the state’s top judicial nominating commission is no longer constitutional and cannot be enforced. The law, which was implemented in the 1980s, mandates that the commission recommending candidates to fill vacancies on Iowa’s appellate courts must have an equal number of male and female members. The decision came as a result of a lawsuit filed by attorneys from the Pacific Legal Foundation challenging the law, arguing that it violated the equal protection guarantees of the 14th Amendment. … Read more

Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission Certifies Raymond Kirtley as Qualified Senior Judge, Expanding Judicial Resources

Crawfordsville, Indiana – Raymond M. Kirtley has been deemed qualified by the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission to serve as a Senior Judge until the end of the year, according to the Supreme Court of the State of Indiana. The senior judge program was established by the Indiana legislature in 1989 to augment the state’s judicial resources by utilizing the services of retired judges. Appointed by the Indiana Supreme Court, senior judges can preside over circuit courts, superior courts, probate courts, the tax court, or the court of appeals. They may act as substitutes when regular … Read more