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imageBy Nathan Tucker

On Thursday, the State Judicial Nominating Commission has released the names of 9 nominees it has chosen to replace the 3 justices who were voted out of office by voters in November.  The Governor has 30 days to appoint 3 of them to the bench.

Governor Branstad has indicated that he will ask the nominees if they will exercise judicial restraint, and Iowa Judicial Watch trusts that he will make their responses publicly available.  If a nominee refuses to answer, then, as former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) wrote in his 2000 autobiography Passion for Truth: “In my judgment, the [Governor] should resist, if not refuse to confirm, Supreme Court nominees who refuse to answer questions on fundamental issues.”

The nominees are:

1.  Robert James Blink, West Des Moines, Age 60

2.  Arthur E. Gamble, Clive, Age 58

3.  John C. Gray, Sioux City, Age 56

  • Attorney—Heidman Law Firm
  • J.D., 1981, University of Iowa
  • Commission Interview.  In his interview, Gray stated that he was disappointed and shocked by the retention results and the subsequent attacks on the judicial selection process.  He expressed his desire to make “fair” decisions.
  • A registered Democrat, Gray has contributed $250 to former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack’s bid for the Democratic nomination for president, $1,500 to Democratic Congressman Leonard Boswell, $250 to Senator Tom Harkin (D), and $970 to the Iowa Democratic Party.  Among many state Democratic candidates he supported, Gray contributed $1,175 to Democratic Governor Chet Culver.
  • REFUSED TO COMPLETE OUR QUESTIONNAIRE.

4.  Steven Verne Lawyer, New Virginia, Age 45

5.  Edward M. Mansfield, Des Moines, Age 53

6.  Michael R. Mullins, Washington, Age 58

7.  Angela Onwuachi-Willig, Grinnell, Age 37

“Second, I bring important racial and gender diversity to the court
Judges/justices are neutral decisionmakers; however, they arrive at the table with their own individual experiences, which may influence their approaches to the facts and the law. For this reason, it is important for the court to include both female and racial minority justices.

“Third
I also am the American born daughter of legal immigrants to the United States, and in that respect, the lens through which I may see and approach matters may be more global, a factor that is increasingly becoming more important in a world that is becoming more globally interdependent.”

8.  Thomas Dana Waterman, Pleasant Valley, Age 51

9.  Bruce B. Zager, Waterloo, Age 58

  • District Judge (appointed 1999)—First Judicial District
  • J.D., 1980, Drake University
  • Applicant Summary Resume
  • Personal Data Questionnaire.  In his application, Zager wrote, in part, “I consider myself a progressive thinker
I also have a deep appreciation of the real-world implications of an appellate decision
Most importantly, I also realize that both as a trial judge and as an appellate judge, we are dealing with people’s lives.”
  • He was both a 2008 and a 2009 finalist for a seat on the Iowa Court of Appeals.
  • Zager is a registered Republican.
  • REFUSED TO COMPLETE OUR QUESTIONNAIRE.

Party affiliation was obtained through a search of voting records maintained by the Iowa Secretary of State.  Political contributions were found by searching both Iowa and federal campaign contribution databases.

Nathan Tucker is a practicing attorney in Davenport, IA and the executive director of Iowa Judicial Watch.

Originally posted at The Iowa Republican.

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