District court, Judicial District 5
Jeanie K. Vaudt
District Court Judge · District 5C · Polk County
About
Judge Vaudt, Polk County, was appointed to the bench in 2014. She received her undergraduate degree from Upper Iowa University in 1976 and an MA in Public Administration from Drake University before graduating from Drake University Law School with honors in 1991, where she was a member of the Drake…
Retention votes
| Election | Yes | No | Kept by |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 8, 2022 | 77,502 | 37,672 | 67.3% 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
76% of 153 responding lawyers said to keep the judge (2022).
| Question | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Knowledge and use of the law | 3.60 |
| Sees the facts of a case clearly | 3.62 |
| On time for court | 3.94 |
| Listens to arguments and testimony | 3.84 |
| Runs the courtroom well | 3.85 |
| Temperament and manner | 3.94 |
| Clear, well-written decisions | 3.73 |
| Rules promptly | 3.72 |
| Uses technology to improve the courts | 4.14 |
| Avoids needless personal criticism | 4.03 |
| Decides on the law and facts, not outside pressure | 4.03 |
| Courteous and patient | 4.05 |
| Treats people equally | 4.32 |
| Fair to people without a lawyer | 4.26 |
| Said to keep the judge | 76% |
| Lawyers responding | 153 |
Source: Iowa State Bar Association Judicial Performance Review: 2022 (page 35).
Appeals from this judge’s cases
3 appeals on record; 3 reversed or vacated at least in part.4
- Amanda Cooke v. Iowa Department of Health and Human ServicesAI summary The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services appealed a decision that had overturned a finding of child abuse regarding a failure to provide adequate supervision. The dispute centered on how to apply the legal standard for what a reasonable person would do…
- 1000 Friends of Iowa, Bill Barnes, Inc., Bradley E. Coulson, Teresa M. Coulson, Sondra K. Feldstein Revocable Trust and Stuart I. Feldstein …AI summary A group of citizens and organizations challenged a decision by the Polk County Board of Supervisors to change the zoning of a piece of land from agricultural to mixed use. The lower court originally dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that the group did not have the…
- Criminal appeal No. 22-1974AI summary The defendant challenged his criminal convictions and a mandatory minimum sentence. The court affirmed part of the previous decisions, reversed other parts, and sent the case back to the lower court for further action. This means some parts of the original jud…