Iowa Court of Appeals vacancy draws 22 applicants

A total of 22 Iowans have applied with the State Judicial Nominating Commission to fill the vacancy on the Iowa Court of Appeals that will occur when Chief Judge Larry Eisenhauer retires on Sept. 30 after serving on the appellate panel since 2001.

The list includes five candidates currently holding judgeships, a county attorney, an assistant county attorney, a public defender, an assistant Iowa attorney general, and 11 private-practice attorneys, including a former state legislator.

The 17-member nominating commission will meet on Aug. 21-22 in the Iowa Supreme Court Courtroom on the fourth floor of the Judicial Branch Building to interview the applicants. The public is invited to observe the interviews in the courtroom.

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, who will then have 30 days in which to appoint the new judge.

The applicants for the court are attorneys Alan Bjork, 64, Johnston; Matt Dummermuth, 40, Robins; Sharon Greer, 55, Marshalltown; David Leitner, 57, Johnston; Thomas Mayes, 43, Des Moines; Jennifer Miller, 42, Springville; Douglas Oelschlaeger, 56, Cedar Rapids; Rebecca Parrish-Sams, 42, Cumming; Frank Tenuta, 54, Sioux City; Randy Waagmeester, 60, Rock Rapids; and former state Rep. George Eichhorn, 58, a Stratford Republican who served in the Iowa House from 2005-07.

The list also includes Emily Chafa, 53, Johnston, an administrative law judge with the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals; Susan Christensen, 51, Harlan, a district associate judge appointed in 2007 in Iowa's Fourth Judicial District; Mark Cleve, 58, Davenport, a district judge appointed in 1998 in Iowa's Seventh Judicial District; Peter Hart, 60, Emmetsburg, an assistant county attorney for Dickinson and Emmet counties; Samuel  Langholz, 33, Ankeny, a state public defender; Christopher McDonald, 38, Des Moines, a district judge appointed in 2012 in Iowa's Fifth Judicial District; Muscatine County Attorney Alan Ostergren, 41, Letts; Michael Shubatt, 48, Dubuque, a district judge appointed in 2008 in Iowa's First Judicial District; Phillip Tabor, 54, DeWitt, a district associate judge appointed in 2008 in Iowa's Seventh Judicial District; Jeanie Vaudt, 59, West Des Moines, an assistant Iowa attorney general; and Molly  Weber, 39, Waukee, a U.S. District Court law clerk.

A summary resume, completed questionnaire and writing samples for each candidate will be posted on the Judicial Branch website at:

http://www.iowacourts.gov/State_Judicial_Nominating_Commission/Application_Information/

The commission welcomes written comments from the public about the qualifications of any of the applicants. Comments must be submitted to the State Court Administrator, who serves as the commission secretary, by Aug. 20. Comments may be emailed to SupCtNom@iowacourts.gov or mailed to the State Court Administrator, Iowa Judicial Branch Building, 1111 E. Court Ave., Des Moines, Iowa 50319.

Iowa Court of Appeals applicants