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Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady has died; Reynolds, Gregg, and Branstad release statements

Mark Cady

DES MOINES – The Iowa Judicial Branch is saddened to report that Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady has passed away. He was a wonderful individual and exceptional judge, respected and beloved by his fellow jurists. His passing is a great loss to the court and the state he so loyally served. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Becky and his family.

Statement from the family:
“Tonight, the state lost a great man, husband, father, grandfather, and jurist. Chief Justice Mark Cady passed away unexpectedly this evening from a heart attack. Arrangements are pending.”

Chief Justice Cady, Ft. Dodge, was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court in 1998. The members of the court selected him as chief justice in 2011.

Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, Chief Justice Cady earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from Drake University. After graduating from law school in 1978, he served as a judicial law clerk for the Second Judicial District for one year. He was then appointed as an assistant Webster County attorney and practiced with a law firm in Fort Dodge. Chief Justice Cady was appointed a district associate judge in 1983 and a district court judge in 1986. In 1994, he was appointed to the Iowa Court of Appeals. He was elected chief judge of the court of appeals in 1997 and served until his appointment to the supreme court.

Chief Justice Cady is a member of the Order of Coif, The Iowa State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Iowa Judges Association, and Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers (honorary). He also served as chair of the Supreme Court’s Task Force on the Court’s and Communities’ Response to Domestic Abuse and is a member of the Drake Law School Board of Counselors. Chief Justice Cady is chair of the Nation Center for State Courts Board of Directors and President of the Conference of Chief Justices. He also serves on the Board of Directors, and chairs its Committee on Courts, Children, and Families, and the Committee on Judicial Selection and Compensation. He is the coauthor of Preserving the Delicate Balance Between Judicial Accountability and Independence: Merit Selection in the Post-White World, 16 Cornell J.L. and Pub. Pol’y 101 (2008) and of Iowa Practice: Lawyer and Judicial Ethics (Thomson-West 2007). He is the author of Curbing Litigation Abuse and Misuse: A Judicial Approach, 36 Drake L. Rev. 481 (1987), The Vanguard of Equality: The Iowa Supreme Court’s Journey to Stay Ahead of the Curve on an Arc Bending Towards Justice, 76 Alb. L. Rev. 1991 (2013), and Reflections on Clark v. Board of School Directors, 150 Years Later, 67 Drake L. Rev. 23 (2019). Justice Cady also delivered remarks at the 2012 Drake Law School Constitutional Law Symposium, The Iowa Judiciary, Funding, and the Poor, 60 Drake L. Rev. 1127 (2012) and presented the inaugural Drake Law School Iowa Constitution Lecture, A Pioneer’s Constitution: How Iowa’s Constitutional History Uniquely Shapes Our Pioneering Tradition in Recognizing Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, 60 Drake L. Rev. 1133 (2012).

Chief Justice Cady was an adjunct faculty member at Buena Vista University for more than 30 years and served on its President’s Advisory Council. In 2012 he received an honorary doctorate degree in Public Service from Buena Vista University. Chief Justice Cady received the Award of Merit from the Iowa Judges Association in 2015. He received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from Drake University Law School in 2011, he received the Alumni Achievement Award from Drake University in 2012, and the Judicial Achievement Award from the Iowa Association for Justice in 2016. Chief Justice Cady is also the Iowa chair of iCivics Inc.

Chief Justice Cady is married with two children and four grandchildren.

Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff today Saturday, November 16th to sunset on the day of Justice Cady’s memorial service, in honor and remembrance of Chief Justice Mark Cady, who served Iowa with dedication and distinction as the Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court. Details regarding the memorial service are forthcoming.

“I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of Chief Justice Mark Cady. He devoted his entire professional career to serving the people of Iowa,” said Gov. Reynolds. “He loved the law, the judiciary, and the state we call home. He leaves behind a legacy of service and dedication that we should never forget. My prayers are with Becky, the rest of his family, and his colleagues on the Supreme Court and throughout the judicial branch during this difficult time.”

“I am stunned and saddened by the loss of Chief Justice Cady,” said Lt. Gov. Gregg. “As he did for so many law students and young lawyers, he showed me kindness and support throughout my career. I am thankful for his service, and for the role he played in my life. He will be missed.”

“I am very saddened to hear of the death of Iowa Chief Justice Mark Cady,” said Ambassador Terry Branstad. “As governor, I was proud to have appointed him to the District Court, Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court. He was a dedicated Jurist who was liked and respected for his strong work ethic and fairness. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Becky, his family and friends.

Flags will be at half-staff on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays in the Capitol Complex. Flags will also be half-staff on all public buildings, grounds and facilities throughout the state.

Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flags at half-staff for the same length of time.

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