OTTUMWA —
The League of Women Voters is known as a nonpartisan political organization, dedicated to encouraging informed and active participation in government, increasing understanding of major public policy questions, and influencing public policy through education and advocacy.
One of the issues we are embracing is judicial retention. We believe in “Justice not Politics” and while judges will be on the ballot this November, the retention election is intended to focus on their professional competency rather than individual rulings or politics.
There are 74 judges on the retention ballot in November throughout Iowa. The 10 judges that will be on our ballots in District 8A will include District Court Justices Lucy Gamon, Myron Gookin and Crystal Cronk; Appeal Court Judges Michael Mullins, Mary Tabor and Anuradha Vaitheswaran; and Iowa Supreme Court Justices Edward Mansfield, Thomas Waterman, David Wiggins and Bruce B. Zager.
In the weeks prior to the general election, the Ottumwa chapter of the LWV will feature the questions and answers in an effort to educate voters, regarding the judges on the November ballot.
The League would like to thank Judge Annette Scienszinski, chair of the 8th District Public Outreach Committe, for her assistance and encouragement in this project.
Bev VerSteegh is the president of the League of Women Voters of Ottumwa.
LWV QUESTION: Each justice or judge takes an oath pursuant to Iowa Code Section 63.6 to “support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Iowa, and [will] without fear, favor, affection, or hope of reward, [to the best of his/her] knowledge and ability, administer justice according to the law, equally to the rich and the poor.” What does this oath mean to you, and how does your judicial service fulfill this oath?
• Judge Myron Gookin, District Court: “This oath confirms our absolute commitment to be fair and impartial, and make our decisions solely based on the law and the facts presented. We are bound by the law, no matter who the parties are, and no matter what our personal opinions or beliefs may be concerning the issues in dispute. This is what I believe all judges strive to do each day. It is what we must do in order to earn the respect and confidence of the public in our judicial decisions and to foster respect for the rule of law.”
• Judge Mary Tabor, Appeals Court: “Two years ago I had the great honor of being sworn in as a judge on the Iowa Court of Appeals. Taking the oath of office was the most moving and important part of the ceremony. By pledging to support our state and federal Constitutions, I took on the awesome task of protecting all Iowans from potential government abuses of power. Every day when I am deciding appeals, I work to uphold the rights enshrined in our Constitutions. Fulfilling my oath means administering justice based on the facts of each case and the existing law, independent of outside influences.”
• Judge Michael Mullins, Appeals Court: “The oath is my promise to the citizens of Iowa that I will follow the rule of law upon which our government and society are based. As a judge, I consider the facts presented to me and I apply the law to those facts without regard to the status or circumstance of the parties. We are, and must be, a court system which decides disputes based on law — the rule of law — and not according to how much money or power a person has.”
Opinion
September 22, 2012
A Q&A with members of the judiciary
Guest editorial
- Opinion
-
- Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
-
We never really graduate
It's May, and the graduation announcements are rolling in. It's a wonderful time to celebrate the educational achievements of those who are graduating from various schools. It did not take me long, however, to realize that learning does not end with
- Pay attention to safety concerns Time to make Ottumwa a quiet zone for trains, it would make for safer crossings that cannot be driven around when the arms are down. Then they can also concentrate on that instead of changing all of the traffic flow at Evans Middle School, opening cl
- Injuries to infants, children can be prevented In the April 25 Courier, there were two stories of very young children who may have been severely harmed by a caretaker. We only know the circumstances revealed by the media, but our community has heard of these tragedies before. Only about 2 percent
- Time is the best gift to give on Mother's Day Editor’s Note: Mother’s Day is less than two weeks away. Due to the request of our readers, we are pleased to reprint this column from 2008. OTTUMWA — I’m struggling to find the perfect gift for Mother’s Day. It’s been an ongoing battle for the past
- Church extends a heartfelt thanks As I sit here in my office that still smells of smoke from the fire our church suffered this past week, I remind myself how fortunate we are to be in a city where people still watch out for one another, and we, the members of the First Church of God,
- Program helps new parents In light of recent developments, I would like to increase the public's awareness of the NEST Program available through our Wapello County Extension and Outreach at 214 E. Main St. This program is available for parents of newborns through age 5, as we
- One giant mud hole to China Once upon a time, long, long ago, the neighbor kids and I used to like to dig in the ditch after a nice rain and make mud pies. We’d squat beside our hole in the ground with our long-handled spoons and take turns digging and filling our muffin pans
- Superintendent says 'thank you' May is School Board Appreciation Month. Today, the district held its Staff Appreciation and Teacher of the Year Breakfast, and last week was the Faculty Follies program organized by the Education Foundation for Fairfield Public Schools. I am full of
- Address mental health concerns for veterans Memorial Day will soon be here and we will pay tribute to our deceased loved ones. This Memorial Day, let's pay special tribute to our deceased veterans — like my dad — Don Butts, who served in World War II (Battle of the Bulge — one of the worst bat
- More Opinion Headlines
