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wrote “When justices go outside their sworn oath, seize un- constitutional power, and threaten our freedoms, they must be held accountable. Full stop. Period. This is why I tweeted after their June 16 ruling that these three justices should resign, be impeached, or be ousted.”1
The Iowa State Committee acted quickly and unanimously (with one abstention by a member who is a state employee) to issue a statement in defense of the justices. State Chair Jerry Spaeth commissioned a small group of members to draft a statement, which in turn was reviewed and approved by the State Committee and then by the College’s Executive Committee; the statement was published just six days after the editorial appeared.
The Iowa Committee’s statement notes that “disagreement with a court decision is not grounds for impeachment . . . The separation of powers and the principles governing judi- cial review would be undermined if legislators could simply remove judges or justices based on a decision they didn’t like. Further, to pursue impeachment simply because Mr. Vander Plaats disagrees with the decision or because the justices vig- orously debated competing interpretations of the law would damage the ability of our courts and the judges who serve
Iowa to act as fair and impartial decision-makers.”
The Iowa Committee’s statement has been published by several print/internet media entities in Iowa. It is a notable, tangible example of the College’s commitment to its mis- sion to support the independence of the judiciary and the administration of justice.
Since publication of the statement, the Iowa Legislature conducted a special session and passed a new fetal heartbeat law, and the Governor signed it. But no legislator proposed impeachment. The new law is already being challenged in Iowa District Court, so it likely will make its way again to the Supreme Court. The Iowa State Committee will remain watchful and protective of the proper functioning of the judicial process and will seek to advocate against persons and entities who seek to damage the court system based on nothing more than disagreement with judicial decisions.
Greg Lederer Cedar Rapids, IA
1 You can read the guest editorial at: https://www.desmoinesregister. com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/2023/07/02/iowa-judg- es-abortion-case-unlawful-power/70366965007/ but only if you are a Register subscriber. However, you can do so for $1.00; just remember to cancel your subscription within six months to avoid being charged $19.99/month.
FALL 2023
JOURNAL 18