Larson named chief judge for 4th Judicial District

The Iowa Supreme Court has appointed a Harlan judge to serve as chief of Iowa’s 4th Judicial District.

Jeffrey L. Larson, who graduated from the University of South Dakota and the University of Iowa School of Law, was appointed to the bench in 2003. Prior to becoming a judge, he served as the Shelby County attorney and worked in private practice.

Jeffrey Larson, who was sworn in as a district court judge in 2003, will now serve as the chief judge for Iowa's 4th Judicial District.

“Judge Larson will make a fine chief judge,” said Marsha Ternus, chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court. “He has experience on the bench, he respects the views of others and the court is confident that he will be a strong leader in the 4th Judicial District through the state’s current financial crisis.”

Larson said being selected is an honor and that he looks forward to the opportunities his new position will present.

“I recognize the unique challenges we face today, but I am confident that we can meet them,” he said in a prepared statement.

As chief judge, Larson will supervise all judicial officers and court employees in the district, supervise the performance of administrative and judicial business in the district, set times and places of holding court, designate presiding judges and serve on the judicial council, which advises the state supreme court on administrative matters. In addition, he will continue to preside over cases.

Larson succeeds Judge Charles L. Smith, who retired earlier this month. The 4th Judicial District is located in southwest Iowa and encompasses Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby counties. It has eight district judges, four district associate judges, 16 part-time magistrates and 90 employees. The operating budget for the current fiscal year is approximately $10 million, and a total of 77,602 cases were filed in the district last year.