The State Judicial Nominating Commission has forwarded three nominees to the governor for an opening on the Iowa Court of Appeals.
The chief judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals plans to retire this fall. This past Tuesday and Wednesday the Judicial Nominating Commission interviewed 22 people who applied for the job. Late this afternoon the commission announced it had selected three nominees to forward to the governor, who will make the final choice.
Here are the three nominees: 59-year-old Jeanie Kunkle Vaudt of West Des Moines, an assistant attorney general who is married to former state Auditor David Vaudt; 57-year-old Sharon Greer of Marshalltown, a lawyer in private practice and 38-year-old Christopher Lee McDonald of Des Moines, who Branstad appointed to be a district court judge last year.
The governor now has 30 days to review the candidates and make an appointment. However, he can reject all three nominees and the Judicial Nominating Commission would have to reconvene and select another slate of three candidates for the appeals court opening.