Iowa’s chief justice recommends change in magistrate court judge requirements

DES MOINES — Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen recommended reducing the number of magistrate judges. Iowa law currently requires at least one magistrate per county and their pay is based on the expectation that they’ll spend about 31% of their time performing magistrate duties. 

Christensen says the magistrates are part-time judicial officers who are permitted to practice law outside of their responsibilities, but while judges in about 24 counties are spending that 31% of the time or above, most are not. “75 are far below that target, with some as low as 4%.” 

Christensen is asking the legislature to repeal the requirement that each county have a magistrate. “The solution we propose it to reduce the number of magistrate judges required by statue, and when necessary, assign some magistrates to serve multiple counties to ensure that workloads are properly aligned.” 

Christensen made the recommendation during her annual “Condition of the Judiciary” speech to the Iowa Legislature on Wednesday.