Sixth District Chief Judge Remley retiring

Sixth Judicial Chief Judge David Remley is retiring next month after 16 years on the bench.

His official retirement date is Sept. 15, but his last day on the bench will be Sept. 2.

Remley, 64, is retiring before the mandatory retirement age of 72. He was appointed as a district judge in 1993 and selected as the chief judge in 2001.

After Remley retires, the Sixth Judicial District will have two judge openings, but only one will be filled this year.

Judge Thomas Koehler, 72, retired last month, and two of the applicants who applied as his replacement will be nominated next week and one will be approved by Gov. Chet Culver within 30 days.

Remley's replacement won't be selected until April 2010 because the Iowa Supreme Court has delayed filling vacancies for 180 days as part of state cost-cutting measures.

This delay won't affect the appointment of a chief judge, district court administrator Carroll Edmondson said. He expects a chief judge to be selected by September.

Judges apply for the position and then one is approved as the chief judge by the Iowa Supreme Court.