Chief Justice Christensen provides Condition of Judiciary address

 STATEWIDE  — Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Larson Christensen of Harlan addressed a joint convention of the General Assembly on the Condition of the Judiciary Wednesday, January 15 in the House Chambers of the Iowa State Capitol.
 The theme of Christensen’s fifth Condition of the Judiciary speech focused on commitment, while calling for a “modernization” of the state’s magistrate system,  increasing state district court judge pay and addressing the lack of contract attorneys in the state as top goals for the 2025 legislative session.
 Christensen thanked the Legislature for the 5% increase in judicial officers’ salaries which was put in place in 2024. She noted, however, even with the increase, Iowa judges and magistrates rank 41st in the nation for judicial pay, and adjusting for inflation. She said Iowa’s district court judges are currently  earning 16.5% less than they were 15 years ago. She noted judgeship vacancies have decreased by 56% in the past two decades.
 Christensen noted “the Kansas plan”, which is modeled after a Kansas measure that went into effect January 1. The proposal sets the salary for Iowa district court judges at 75% of a federal district court judge’s salary, and determines salaries for other classes of judges. The program would be phased in over a four year period. She said currently Iowa district court judges earn 68% of federal district court judges’ salaries.
 “I recognize this would represent a significant change in how judicial salaries are determined,” Christensen said. “But, like my dad used to say, ‘You get what you pay for.’ If judicial salaries remain uncompetitive, we risk attracting a pool of applicants who may not have the right qualifications or proper temperament to serve effectively. While our judiciary is strong today, we cannot afford to let these challenges become tomorrow’s reality.”
 Chief Justice Christensen also addressed areas of the judicial branch which could become more efficient, and called for changes to the state’s magistrate system. Currently, Iowa magistrates are part-time judicial officials serving the county they reside in or a neighboring county, presiding over simple misdemeanors, evictions, and small claims, as well as county and municipal infractions. They also have the authority to conduct preliminary hearings and issue search warrants.
 While she believes these officials serve vital roles in Iowa’s judicial system, Christensen said many magistrates, “through no fault of their own,” are not devoting as much time to their magistrate workload as intended by the law.
 Currently, Iowa Code requires each of the state’s 99 counties have at least one magistrate. Christensen proposed the state reduce the number of magistrates required by Iowa law, and to allow some magistrates to serve multiple counties when needed. Christensen said this change could save the state $2 million annually.