New 6th Judicial District judge has ‘wide breadth’ of experience

An assistant U.S. attorney who was appointed last Friday as the next 6th Judicial District judge brings varied and unique work experience to the bench — having handled civil litigation and prosecution of gangs in California, murders and sex exploitation in Iowa, with a break in between as a stay-at-home mom.

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“I would like to thank both Governor Reynolds and the nominating commission and I am pleased to continue a career in public service and for the opportunity to serve Iowans as a district court judge,” Liz Dupuich, 46, of Coralville, told The Gazette Wednesday.

This was Dupuich’s second application to the bench. She was one of two lawyers nominated for the last 6th Judicial Associate District vacancy.

She will replace Judge Paul Miller, who is retiring in July. Miller has been a judge since 2010 after practicing law for 34 years as a state prosecutor, public defender, assistant Iowa Attorney General and in private practice.

Dupuich said she will miss being a federal prosecutor, an “extremely rewarding” job, focusing on sexual exploitation cases, but she wanted to continue her public service and feels she has a “little different perspective” because she left her job as a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles and became a stay-at-home mom for six years. After having two children, she traded in criminal work for Girl Scout leader duties, as well as many others.

She grew up in Iowa City, so she and her husband decided to move back to Iowa to raise their daughter and son. When her daughter went to kindergarten, Dupuich applied for an opening as an assistant Johnson County attorney under elected County Attorney Janet Lyness and was hired in 2013.

She prosecuted some high profile cases in Johnson County, including the 2019 first-degree murder conviction of Curtis Jones for fatally shooting Jonathan Wieseler, a bail bondsman, in 2017 in Iowa City.

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Dupuich also was involved in the investigation and observed the legal proceedings in China for Xiangnan Li, then 24 years old, a former University of Iowa business student accused of killing Tong Shao, 20, his ex-girlfriend, whose body was discovered in a car trunk in 2014 in Iowa City. There were complications involving extradition and then Li turned himself in to China authorities in 2015 and he was prosecuted in China.

She left the Johnson County Attorney’s office in 2019 after being hired as an assistant U.S. attorney.

Peter Deegan Jr., retired U.S. Attorney of the Northern District of Iowa, said Dupuich, who he hired as an assistant prosecutor, “demonstrated exceptional legal skills, compassion and good judgment.”

She was always prepared, thorough and profession in her work, Deegan said.

“Liz’s courtroom presence was impressive, and she had a knack for presenting complex arguments in a clear and concise manner,” he noted. “She was also highly respected by her colleagues and the judges.”

Deegan, now an attorney with Taft Law in Chicago, said he also enjoyed working with her. She always made time for her colleagues, “offering a few friendly words — even as she was busy dealing with often difficult and stressful issues. I look forward to appearing in Judge Dupuich’s courtroom.”

Rich Murphy, retired assistant U.S. attorney, said Dupuich is an “accomplished lawyer” who had a good judicial temperament that will serve her well on the bench.

“I’m so happy for her,” Murphy said. “She has worked hard and deserves this opportunity.”

Dupuich will take the bench in mid-July.

She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and her law degree from the University of Southern California Law School. Dupuich also worked as a deputy California Attorney General and deputy district attorney in Los Angeles.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com