UPDATES & ANALYSIS

4.04

From our archive: An interview with Justice Daryl Hecht, who died April 3

by Rox Laird | April 4, 2019

Three years ago Rox Laird, a contributor to this blog, sat down with Iowa Supreme Justice Daryl Hecht for a rare on-the-record interview ahead of that year’s judicial retention election.

Over the course of a leisurely conversation lasting nearly two hours, Hecht talked about his experiences growing up on a family farm in a family with six children near Lytton in northwest Iowa, practicing law in Sioux City, and why he believed it was important that he continue to live and work in the Sioux City area while he served on the Court.

Not surprisingly for those who knew the justice, he was engaging, thoughtful, and especially eager to talk about his passion for vocal music.

With Hecht’s death April 3 following a lengthy illness with cancer, it seemed appropriate to share that interview again.

The Hecht interview – along with interviews with Chief Justice Mark Cady and Justice Brent Appel, who were also on the retention ballot that year – was published by the Iowa State Bar Association’s magazine, The Iowa Lawyer, underwritten by a grant from Nyemaster Goode.

http://www.judicialfacts.org/know-your-supreme-court-justices.html

SHARE

Tags: , ,

FEATURED POSTS

January 2026 Opinion Roundup

The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in ten cases in January 2026. On Brief has analyzed three opinions in separate posts. The remaining opinions from January are summarized below.

November 2025 Opinion Roundup

The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in eleven cases in November 2025. On Brief’s analysis of In re Davenport Hotel Building Collapse, No. 24-0727, concerning whether statutory qualified immunity protections apply to the City of Davenport and city employees in the context of common law negligence claims brought by families of residents who died in a 2023 apartment building collapse, is posted separately on this blog. The remaining opinions from November are summarized below.

EDITORIAL TEAM

ABOUT

On Brief: Iowa’s Appellate Blog is devoted to appellate litigation with a focus on the Iowa Supreme Court, the Iowa Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

RELATED BLOGS

Related Links

ARCHIVES