Sioux City, Iowa — The retirement of District 3A Judge David A. Lester on March 2, 2021 will create a vacancy and the court system is preparing for that by interviewing candidates to fill the position.
The district covers Lyon, Osceola, and O’Brien counties in our immediate area, as well as Cherokee, Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Palo Alto, and Kossuth counties.
Third District Court Administrator Peggy Frericks tells us that the 3A District Court Judicial Nominating Commission has received five applications for the upcoming vacancy. She says the Commission will conduct a meeting on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, to interview each applicant. After that, deliberations and voting will occur to determine the two applicants whose names will be submitted to Governor Kim Reynolds for her consideration.
Those in the running for the position include Matthew T. E. Early of Spirit Lake, Melanie S. Summers Bauler of Wallingford, Lisa K. Mazurek of Cherokee, Todd M. Holmes of Algona, and John M. Sandy of Spirit Lake.
All interviews will be conducted in the District Courtroom of the Clay County Courthouse in Spencer, and are open to the public. Commission deliberations and voting are confidential, and therefore all members of the public will be required to leave the courtroom at the time scheduled for deliberations and voting.
Face masks or shields will be required and there are more COVID-related restrictions.
For more information, you can contact Third District Court Administrator Peggy Frericks at the Woodbury County Courthouse in Sioux City.
