5th Judicial District Court
A general-jurisdiction trial court in Iowa.
The 5th Judicial District Court is a general-jurisdiction trial court in Iowa, where most civil and criminal cases are first heard. Its judges are chosen by gubernatorial appointment from a nominating commission, followed by retention elections, the method Iowa uses for its judges. This page lists the court's sitting judges, from Iowa's official judicial directory.
Current judges
- Thomas P. ". Murphy
- Nicholas A. Bailey
- Scott J. Beattie
- Sarah Crane
- David Faith
- Jeffrey D. Farrell
- Celene Gogerty
- Samantha J. Gronewald
- Michael K. Jacobsen
- Christopher Kemp
- Heather Lauber
- Coleman J. McAllister
- Brad McCall
- Lawrence P. McLellan
- David Nelmark
- Elisabeth Reynoldson
- Stacy Ritchie
- Scott D. Rosenberg
- Paul Scott
- Joseph W. Seidlin
- Charles Sinnard
- Patrick D. Smith
- Jeanie K. Vaudt
Former judges
No former judges on record.
How a judge reaches this court. Judges of the 5th Judicial District Court are appointed by the governor to 8-year terms and then face yes-or-no retention elections. Selection methods vary by jurisdiction and have changed over time; this page reflects the court’s current method (source: National Center for State Courts). Open any judge to see their tenure and whom they succeeded.
Source: Iowa Judicial Branch, District Court Judges; selection method from the National Center for State Courts. Data as of 2026-07-01 (official state directory). Verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).