District court, Judicial District 4
Kathleen A. Kilnoski
Senior Judge · District 4
About
- Appointed to this post in 20091
- Senior judges are retired judges the Supreme Court assigns to cases; they aren’t on the ballot.
Judge Kilnoski was appointed as District Court Judge January 9, 2009 and served as District Associate Judge since 1996. She was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and attended Grinnell College. After graduating with her bachelor's degree in 1981, she went on to earn her law degree from University of Iowa in…
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.2
94% of 52 responding lawyers said to keep the judge (2022).
| Question | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Knowledge and use of the law | 4.46 |
| Sees the facts of a case clearly | 4.44 |
| On time for court | 4.74 |
| Listens to arguments and testimony | 4.65 |
| Runs the courtroom well | 4.43 |
| Temperament and manner | 4.77 |
| Clear, well-written decisions | 4.56 |
| Rules promptly | 4.65 |
| Uses technology to improve the courts | 4.69 |
| Avoids needless personal criticism | 4.73 |
| Decides on the law and facts, not outside pressure | 4.60 |
| Courteous and patient | 4.81 |
| Treats people equally | 4.87 |
| Fair to people without a lawyer | 4.90 |
| Said to keep the judge | 94% |
| Lawyers responding | 52 |
Source: Iowa State Bar Association Judicial Performance Review: 2022 (page 32).
Appeals from this judge’s cases
1 appeal on record; 1 reversed or vacated at least in part.3
- Criminal appeal No. 23-0413AI summary The defendant appealed his convictions for sexual abuse, arguing that the trial court made several errors regarding what evidence and testimony could be presented. The court focused on whether certain hearsay testimony regarding the victim's initial disclosure…