Iowa Chief Judge Accused of Driving Drunk

Iowa's top judge in the Second Judicial District, Adria Kester, is facing an operating while intoxicated charge. Witnesses said she was found unconscious in her truck, slowly moving the wrong way on Highway 30 near Boone, Iowa. According to the Boone County Sheriff's Office, two 911 calls came in on Tuesday night, and a bystander climbed through the back window of Kester's GMC Canyon Denali to put the vehicle in park after it drifted into the median, the Des Moines Register reports. Deputies reported finding "a cup with a liquid that smelled like alcohol" in the truck and said Kester had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.

She allegedly refused to answer questions or take sobriety tests. In a criminal complaint, a deputy said the 55-year-old couldn't walk on her own and was assisted to an ambulance, the AP reports. A blood draw was later ordered at the local hospital. Kester is chief judge in the state's largest judicial district, overseeing court administration for counties and supervising hundreds of court employees as well as presiding over cases. She was booked into jail early Wednesday and released later that morning without bond.

The case quickly moved through a series of recusals and reassignments, given her position as both defendant and chief judge. Ultimately, a judge from another district was assigned and the Polk County Attorney's Office took over prosecution duties. Kester appeared in court Wednesday morning, declined a court-appointed lawyer, and was ordered to complete a substance abuse evaluation. Her arraignment is set for Dec. 22. The Iowa Supreme Court has procedures for disciplining judges, which can include removal for misconduct or substance abuse, but officials declined to say whether Kester is still serving in her role or if any internal review is in progress.

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Kester, who was appointed chief judge in late 2022 and has served as a county attorney and public defender, is facing a serious misdemeanor charge that could bring jail time, a fine, and license restrictions if she is convicted. She "recognizes the seriousness of the situation and is fully cooperating with law enforcement and the judicial process," her attorney, Matt Lindholm said in a statement. The AP reports that Lindholm is considered one of the state's top lawyers in drunken driving cases.