1. A seven-member “Commission on Judicial Qualifications” is established. The commission consists of one district judge and two members who are practicing attorneys in Iowa and who do not belong to the same political party, to be appointed by the chief justice; and four electors of the state who are not attorneys, no more than two of whom belong to the same political party, to be appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the senate. The commission members shall serve for six-year terms, are ineligible for a second term, and except for the judicial member shall not hold any other office of and shall not be employed by the United States or the state of Iowa or its political subdivisions. Members appointed by the chief justice shall serve terms beginning January 1 of the year for which the appointments are made and members appointed by the governor shall serve staggered terms beginning and ending as provided by section 69.19. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the chief justice or governor as provided in this subsection, for the unexpired portion of the term.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 602.2102

  • Chief justice: means the chief justice of the supreme court selected pursuant to section 602. See Iowa Code 602.1101
  • Judicial officer: means a supreme court justice, a judge of the court of appeals, a district judge, a district associate judge, an associate juvenile judge, an associate probate judge, or a magistrate. See Iowa Code 602.1101
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • State: includes any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession subject to the legislative authority of the United States. See Iowa Code 633D.2
  • State court administrator: means the person appointed by the supreme court pursuant to section 602. See Iowa Code 602.1101
  • United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2. If the judicial member is the subject of a charge before the commission, the chief justice shall appoint a district judge of another judicial district to act as the judicial member of the commission until the person charged is exonerated, or for the unexpired portion of the term if the person charged is not exonerated. If the judicial member is a resident judge of the same judicial district as the judicial officer who is the subject of a charge before the commission, the chief justice shall appoint a district judge of another judicial district to act as the judicial member during that proceeding.
 3. The commission shall elect its own chairperson, and the state court administrator or a designee of the state court administrator is the executive secretary of the commission.