David Wiggins (judge)

Wiggins was born in Chicago and graduated from Niles East High School.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=August 2012|title=Iowa Voters Judicial Directory|url=http://www.judicialselection.us/uploads/documents/IowaVotersJudicialDirectory_253168CEAA6C9.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215092011/http://www.judicialselection.us/uploads/documents/IowaVotersJudicialDirectory_253168CEAA6C9.pdf|archive-date=February 15, 2020|access-date=|website=Iowa Judicial Branch}} He was the first in his family to attend college and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1973. He then attended Drake University Law School While there, he was an associate editor of the Drake Law Review. He graduated with honors and Order of the Coif in 1976.

Wiggins began his career with the Des Moines based firm Williams, Hart, Lavorato & Kirtley. He made partner in 1979. The firm was eventually renamed Wiggins, Anderson, & Tully.

As a private practitioner, Wiggins served on the Iowa Commission on Judicial Qualifications, the Supreme Court Advisory Commission on Judicial Redistricting, the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules of Civil Procedure, and the Supreme Court Committee on the Cost of Litigation. Wiggins also served on the Board of Governors of the Iowa State Bar Association, was president of the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, was senior counsel for the American College of Barristers, and was master emeritus of the C. Edwin Moore American Inns of Court.

He was appointed by Governor Tom Vilsack to the Supreme Court in 2003. He was the first Jewish Justice on the Iowa Supreme Court. As the senior Associate Justice, Wiggins chaired the Iowa State Judicial Nominating Commission from 2011 until Kim Reynolds changed the Commission's structure to remove him as the chair and strengthen the governor's control of the committee.{{Cite web|last=Belin|first=Laura|date=April 26, 2019|title=Republican judicial power grab returns, in new form (updated)|url=https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2019/04/26/republican-judicial-power-grab-returns-in-new-form/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722135702/https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2019/04/26/republican-judicial-power-grab-returns-in-new-form/|archive-date=July 22, 2020|access-date=|website=Bleeding Heartland}}{{Cite web|last=Gartner|first=Michael|date=June 5, 2019|title=Dico, owing millions in fines, thumbs its nose at Feds. Register circulation plummets, more reporters leave.|url=http://www.dmcityview.com/civic-skinny/2019/06/05/dico-owing-millions-in-fines-thumbs-its-nose-at-feds-register-circulation-plummets-more-reporters-leave/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220134947/http://www.dmcityview.com/civic-skinny/2019/06/05/dico-owing-millions-in-fines-thumbs-its-nose-at-feds-register-circulation-plummets-more-reporters-leave/|archive-date=February 20, 2020|access-date=|website=Des Moines Cityview}} Following the death of Chief Justice Mark Cady, Wiggins was acting Chief Justice from November 21, 2019 to February 24, 2020.{{Cite web |url=https://www.iowacourts.gov/newsroom/news-releases/justice-david-s-wiggins-becomes-acting-chief-justice/ |title=Justice David S. Wiggins Becomes Acting Chief Justice |date=2019-11-21 |website=www.iowacourts.gov |language=en-us |access-date=2019-12-24}} While serving as Chief Justice, Wiggins announced his intention to retire on March 13, 2020.{{Cite web |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2020/01/10/iowa-supreme-court-justice-david-wiggins-retirement/4434664002/ |title=Acting Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice David Wiggins announces early retirement |last=Spoerre |first=Anna |date=2020-01-10 |website=Des Moines Register |language=en |access-date=2020-03-11}}

Wiggins' term was scheduled to end on December 31, 2012. Wiggins had supported the 2009 Varnum v. Brien which declared the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. In the 2010 election, three justices who had supported the decision were ousted, and Wiggins faced a major retention fight in 2012.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/us/politics/03judges.html?pagewanted=all|title=In Iowa, Voters Oust Judges Over Marriage Issue|last=Sulzberger|first=A. G.|date=November 3, 2010|work=New York Times|accessdate=November 8, 2012}}{{Cite journal |last=Pettys |first=Todd |date=2013 |title=Retention Redux: Iowa 2012 |url=https://lawrepository.ualr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1128&context=appellatepracticeprocess |journal=Journal of Appellate Practice and Process |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=47–79}} Wiggins was retained in 2012 with 54.61% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://electionresults.sos.iowa.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=JUD&map=CTY&lValue=Supreme%20Court&gValue=Supreme%20Court|title=Official Results - General Election - November 6, 2012|publisher=Iowa Secretary of State|accessdate=November 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107183038/http://electionresults.sos.iowa.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=JUD&map=CTY&lValue=Supreme%20Court&gValue=Supreme%20Court|archive-date=November 7, 2012|url-status=dead}}

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• {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022070129/http://www.iowacourts.gov/About_the_Courts/Supreme_Court/Supreme_Court_Justices/Justice_David_S_Wiggins/|title=Iowa Judicial Branch page for David S. Wiggins}}

• [http://ballotpedia.org/David_Wiggins Ballotpedia Profile]
• [http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/58888/david-wiggins#.VfJCfvlViko VoteSmart Profile]

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{{s-bef|before=Mark Cady}}

{{s-ttl|title=Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
Acting|years=2019–2020}}

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Category:1951 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American judges

Category:Iowa lawyers

Category:Justices of the Iowa Supreme Court

Category:Lawyers from Chicago

Category:University of Illinois Chicago alumni

Category:Drake University Law School alumni

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