On Thursday, June 13, the Iowa Court of Appeals will hold a special ceremony to mark the retirement of Chief Judge Thomas Bower. The public ceremony is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in the supreme court courtroom on the fourth floor of the Iowa Judicial Branch Building, located at 1111 E. Court Ave., Des Moines. Overflow seating will be available. Chief Judge Bower will officially retire on July 1, 2024.
Chief Judge Bower, hailing from Cedar Falls, was appointed to the Iowa Court of Appeals in January 2012 and was elected by his peers to serve as Chief Judge in October 2019.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University in 1984 and his law degree from Drake University in 1987. His judicial career began with his appointment to the district associate court bench in 1993, followed by an appointment to the district court bench in 1995. In 2010, he was appointed chief judge of the First Judicial District.
Before these appointments, Chief Judge Bower served as an assistant city attorney for Ames and as an assistant Black Hawk County Attorney. He played a significant role in establishing the Black Hawk County Adult Drug Court program in 2006 and a mental health court program in 2009.
Chief Judge Bower has dedicated much of his career to preventing child abuse and domestic violence and has spoken extensively on these topics at local, regional, and national levels. He is a member of The Iowa State Bar Association, the Black Hawk County Bar Association, and the Iowa Judges Association. He is married with two sons.
Media Advisory: The court will permit cameras and audio recording equipment inside the courtroom subject to available space. Media personnel intending to cover the entire ceremony should arrive twenty minutes before it starts for setup purposes. Additionally, a media room will be open for use by journalists.
___