District court, Judicial District 6
Andrew B. Chappell
District Court Judge · District 6
About
Judge Chappell was appointed to the Iowa District Court in February 2017. He earned his Bachelor of Arts with high honors in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracies from James Madison College at Michigan State University in 1994 and his Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Iowa College of…
Retention votes
| Election | Yes | No | Kept by |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 5, 2024 | 112,470 | 51,153 | 68.7% yes |
What lawyers said
Before each retention vote, the Iowa State Bar Association asks lawyers who’ve appeared before the judge to rate them from 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent), and whether the judge should be kept.3
95.5% of 67 responding lawyers said to keep the judge (2024).
| Question | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Knowledge and use of the law | 4.5 |
| Sees the facts of a case clearly | 4.5 |
| On time for court | 4.6 |
| Listens to arguments and testimony | 4.6 |
| Runs the courtroom well | 4.6 |
| Temperament and manner | 4.2 |
| Clear, well-written decisions | 4.5 |
| Rules promptly | 4.4 |
| Uses technology to improve the courts | 4.5 |
| Avoids needless personal criticism | 4.3 |
| Decides on the law and facts, not outside pressure | 4.5 |
| Courteous and patient | 4.3 |
| Treats people equally | 4.4 |
| Fair to people without a lawyer | 4.3 |
| Said to keep the judge | 95.5% |
| Lawyers responding | 67 |
Source: Iowa State Bar Association Judicial Performance Review: 2024 (page 37).
Appeals from this judge’s cases
1 appeal on record; 0 reversed or vacated at least in part.4
- Amie Villarini v. Iowa City Community School DistrictAI summary A former employee sued a school district for defamation and wrongful termination. The court affirmed the dismissal of these claims, finding that the district was protected when repeating statements made during a school board meeting and that the employee did n…