Iowa

Iowa Supreme Court justice asked to recuse himself from divorce appeal over alleged affair

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2024

Iowa Supreme Court justice asked to recuse himself from divorce appeal over alleged affair

A Des Moines man appealing the outcome of his contested divorce has asked one of the state’s Supreme Court justices to take no part in the case because he says the justice had an affair with his wife.

John Len Mordini filed an appeal Tuesday challenging the final disposition of his divorce from Nichole Miras Mordini. Alongside his appeal, he filed a motion asking Supreme Court Justice Christopher McDonald to recuse himself because, he alleges, “the extramarital affair conducted by Justice McDonald and (Nichole Mordini) had a significant negative impact on the marriage and ultimately contributed to the breakdown in the bonds of matrimony.”

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McDonald, who according to his judicial biography is also married, has granted John Mordini’s request. In an amended order filed Thursday, he wrote that there was “a personal relationship” between himself and Nichole Mordini “more than a decade ago.”

The recusal motion does not specify when the alleged affair occurred, but John Mordini said in an email the couple have been married more than 20 years.

John Mordini, who is representing himself, otherwise declined to comment to avoid jeopardizing his appeal. An attorney for Nichole Mordini also declined to comment.

An Iowa Judicial Branch spokesperson said McDonald declined to comment beyond the court filings, pointing to judicial ethics rules against judges or their staff commenting on pending cases.

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Jeremy Fogel, a retired judge and legal ethics expert with the University of California, Berkeley Law School, reviewed the filings at the Register’s request and said that Iowa, like other states, requires judges to disqualify themselves “in any proceeding in which the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”

“Justice McDonald evidently determined that based on his prior relationship with Ms. Mordini and the nature of the appeal, Iowa’s version of that provision applies here. His decision to recuse isn’t an admission that he couldn’t be impartial; rather, it’s a conclusion that a reasonable person might question whether he could,” Fogel told the Register, adding that McDonald’s decision “isn’t surprising and appears to be an appropriate application of the provision.”

The pending appeal will not necessarily be decided by the Supreme Court, which refers a large share of cases to the intermediate Iowa Court of Appeals. McDonald’s recusal means he also will not be involved in deciding whether the Supreme Court should retain the appeal.

McDonald was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court in 2019 by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Before that, he served on the Iowa Court of Appeals and as a district judge.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.

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Iowa

NW Iowa family witnesses field catch fire firsthand Saturday

Published

6 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

NW Iowa family witnesses field catch fire firsthand Saturday

BRONSON, Iowa (KTIV) – As recovery continues in Northwest Iowa from Saturday’s field fires, one family witnessed the fire firsthand.

On Saturday. March 28, more than 50 organizations from three states responded to a large field fire in Woodbury County.

Several of these organizations worked throughout the night to assist in emergency operations.

Ruth Smith, a Bronson resident, says she and her family saw the fire burn in their backyard, and before she knew it the field in her backyard was fully engulfed in flames.

“Came out and was looking out the back window and we could see the flames, out there in the field there,” said Smith. “It just, you know, spread so fast.”

Residents from Lawton, Bronson, and Moville had to evacuate their homes for their safety, including members of Smith’s family.

“My daughter and son,” said Smith. “They grabbed some of their stuff and threw it in bags, went down to my in-laws’ house.”

From her house, Smith says she could see her neighbor’s shed catch fire and how she felt throughout the night.

“The emotions are scary when the wind is that crazy and you know the ground is that dry and it spreads really fast,” said Smith.

A common fear for residents like Smith is the fear of running out of water.

“We’re out here and they’re no fire hydrants, so it’s pretty scary,” said Smith.

Derek Stanfield, the Salix fire chief says a portable water site has been set up at Lawton-Bronson High School.

“We are dumping water in these holding tanks and as trucks need water, they come here, we fill them out of the tanks,” he said. “That allows these trucks to get back on the road, get water, get back, so we don’t run out.”

Center now open in Bronson for those impacted by Saturday’s field fire

Woodbury County Emergency Management says a respite center is now open at Lofted Views Event Center, located at 2086 210th St. in Bronson.

Those impacted by the fires are encouraged to seek assistance by visiting the center to meet with American Red Cross case workers.

Management says for concerns about recovery efforts, residents can call (712)-222-4400.

Want to get the latest news and weather from Siouxland’s News Source? Follow these links to download our KTIV News app and our First Alert Weather app.

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Iowa

Body recovered from retention pond after reported drowning in Iowa Colony

Published

18 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Body recovered from retention pond after reported drowning in Iowa Colony

Iowa Colony police say a caller saw a man go underwater in the Meridiana subdivision and did not resurface.

IOWA COLONY, Texas – Iowa Colony police recovered the body of a man Saturday night after witnesses reported seeing him go underwater in a retention pond in the Meridiana subdivision, authorities said.

Officers were dispatched around 7:04 p.m. to a pond behind the 10400 block of Kahlo Court after a caller reported a man was swimming, submerged and did not resurface, according to the Iowa Colony Police Department.

Police said responding officers immediately began searching the area. The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Colony Fire Department and Manvel Fire Department assisted at the scene, and the Fort Bend County Dive and Water Rescue Team was called in to help.

Divers with the Fort Bend County team located the man around 10:10 p.m. and pronounced him deceased, police said.

The man’s identity and the cause of death have not been released. Police said no foul play is suspected and the investigation remains ongoing.

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Iowa

Illini rip Big Ten rival Iowa to reach Final Four for first time in 21 years

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Illini rip Big Ten rival Iowa to reach Final Four for first time in 21 years

HOUSTON — Freshman Keaton Wagler scored 25 points and Illinois ended Iowa’s underdog March Madness run by dominating in the frontcourt, beating the Hawkeyes 71-59 on Saturday to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2005.

This will be the sixth trip to the Final Four for Illinois, which has never won a national title. The Fighting Illini will face either Duke or UConn next weekend in Indianapolis.

The much taller Illini (28-8) outrebounded Iowa 38-21 in the South Region final. David Mirkovic led the way with 12 rebounds.

Coach Brad Underwood’s emphasis on recruiting in Eastern Europe has paid off in this tournament. Tomislav Ivisic of Croatia, who stands 7-foot-1, and his 7-2 twin brother Zvonimir have shined in March.

Andrej Stojakovic, who was born in Greece but whose father is Serbian three-time NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, scored 17 points for third-seeded Illinois.

His famous father watched proudly as his son punched his ticket to the Final Four, and Wagler’s parents — who met when they played basketball at a junior college in Kansas — cheered wildly throughout for their son, who was named MVP of the region.

Bennett Stirtz scored 24 points for the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes (24-13), who knocked off top-seeded Florida in the second round as part of an impressive run under first-year coach Ben McCollum, a four-time Division II national champion at Northwest Missouri State.

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