3 finalists named for Iowa Supreme Court opening

This will be Gov. Reynolds’ 5th pick to the 7-member court

Erin Murphy

Jun. 27, 2022 2:26 pm, Updated: Jun. 27, 2022 2:44 pm

The Iowa Judicial Branch building. (The Gazette)

DES MOINES — The Iowa Supreme Court’s next justice will be one of three finalists announced Monday by the state’s judicial nominating commission.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will choose from among the three finalists, who are, according to a news release from the state court system:

Alan Heavens, a Northeast Iowa judge from the 1st District, from Garnavillo, and a former Clayton County Attorney.
David May, an Iowa Court of Appeals judge from Polk City and a finalist for an Iowa Supreme Court vacancy in 2020.
William Miller, a lawyer with Dorsey & Whitney in Des Moines and a previous applicant for an Iowa Supreme Court opening.

Alan Heavens

David May

William Miller

Reynolds has 30 days — until July 27 — to choose the next Iowa Supreme Court justice. Once she does, five of the high court’s seven justices will have been picked by Reynolds.

The latest opening is being created by the retirement of Justice Brent Appel, who is the court’s last remaining member appointed by a Democratic governor — Tom Vilsack in 2006. Appel was also retained by voters in the 2016 judicial retention elections.

Appel this summer turns 72, the age at which Iowa judges are required by law to retire.

Five candidates applied for the opening; all were interviewed Monday by the 17-member state judicial nominating commission, which is comprised of eight lawyers and nine members appointed by Reynolds.

Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com