Adria Kester

Adria Kester, then chief judge of Iowa's Second Judicial District, was arrested November 4, 2025, after witnesses reported she was driving the wrong way on U.S. Highway 30 near Boone while slumped over the wheel, apparently passed out. She pleaded guilty to operating while intoxicated and was sentenced to three days in jail, one year of probation, a $1,250 fine, and a required OWI education program. Following her arrest, Kester resigned as chief judge but remains a district judge; she has been suspended with pay pending review by the Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission. In June 2026, Kester sought to block the release of records related to her own arrest.