Justice Not Politics urges the Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission to investigate |
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Last week, Governor Kim Reynolds notified the District 2B Judicial Nominating Commission that she would not make an appointment to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Gina Badding to the Iowa Court of Appeals. She made the decision based upon information she received indicating the Commission’s process was compromised by the inappropriate actions of its Chair, Judge Kurt Stoebe.
The Governor is right to raise serious concerns about Judge Stoebe and the actions or events that have been reported. Judge Stoebe has since resigned his position as assistance chief judge of the district and will no longer serve on the judicial nominating commission. The Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission has a responsibility to investigate this further. If the accusations are accurate, the judge should be held accountable.
This situation highlights the need to train commissioners on their roles and responsibilities. Such training should state clearly what is and is not appropriate when interacting with applicants. Additionally, the training should clarify that all commissioners are empowered to identify and correct any misconduct during deliberations, regardless of whether that misconduct is committed by a judge or another commissioner.
If true, these allegations represent a failure of people, not of a process. Notably, the commission still produced two highly qualified candidates. However, the accused conduct is inexcusable. Justice Not Politics urges the Judicial Qualifications Commission to launch an investigation immediately. Justice Not Politics |
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