DES MOINES — Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed Brook K. Jacobsen of Cedar Falls as a District Judge in Iowa Judicial District 1B, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kellyann Lekar.
Jacobsen currently serves as a District Associate Judge in Judicial District 1B. His appointment moves him to the District Court bench, where judges handle a broad range of major civil, criminal, family and probate matters.
Jacobsen earned his undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College and his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.
Judicial District 1B includes Black Hawk, Buchanan, Chickasaw, Fayette, Grundy and Howard counties. The district covers several northeast Iowa counties and includes communities such as Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Waverly, Independence, New Hampton, West Union, Grundy Center and Cresco.
District judges in Iowa preside over felony criminal cases, major civil lawsuits, family law disputes, juvenile matters, probate issues and other proceedings. They also oversee trials, rule on motions, sentence defendants in criminal cases and manage court proceedings across their assigned district.
Jacobsen’s appointment comes after the retirement of the Hon. Kellyann Lekar, creating the vacancy on the bench.
In Iowa, district judge vacancies are filled through the state’s judicial nominating process. A judicial nominating commission reviews applicants and submits finalists to the governor, who then makes the appointment.
Jacobsen’s appointment gives Judicial District 1B a new district judge already familiar with the region’s courts, attorneys and caseload through his work as a district associate judge.