(Undated)– A proposal to completely re-vamp Iowa’s court system is drawing concern not only from those who work in clerk of court offices, but others as well.
The proposal would reduce the number of judicial districts in Iowa from eight to five. It would consolidate clerk of court offices…reducing the present 99 offices to 28. Locally, the regional clerk of court office for Osceola, Dickinson, Emmet, Palo Alto, O’Brien and Clay counties would be in Spencer. Dickinson County Attorney Ned Bjornstad questions the rationality of that…since Dickinson county has the highest caseload among all those counties.
Bjornstad also questions the timing of the proposed restructuring…saying the holidays will make it more difficult to organize opposition before the Iowa Judicial Council makes a formal recommendation to the state supreme court.
Under the proposal, trials and hearings in magistrate court would still be held in all 99 counties. It also calls for a statewide electronic filing system and internet access to court information.
