Trial Court
ABOUT TRIAL COURT
Tribal Code Title 5. Dispute Resolution, Sec. 5-2301(a): The Trial Court shall be comprised of at least three Judges, one of whom shall be designated by the Tribal Council as Chief Judge of the Trial Court, all appointed by the Tribal Council for a term of four years. Sec. 5-2301 (d): In the event a permanent vacancy occurs in the Trial Court which results in an insufficient number of Judges remaining on the Trial Court, the Tribal Council shall appoint another Judge in accordance with this Article to ensure the minimum number of required Judges under this Section.
The primary function of the judges is to resolve matters brought before the Tribal Court. The Meskwaki Tribal Court is a court of general jurisdiction, meaning that they hear both civil and criminal cases falling within their jurisdiction. Trial Tribal Court judges are recognized as having such authority as is needed to dispose of matters brought before them, ranging from setting the dates for trials and hearings, dispute resolutions, and holding parties in contempt or otherwise sanctioning them for improper behavior.
Meet the Judges
Hon Judge Bear - Chief Judge
Hon Judge Bear - Chief Judge
Hon Judge Bear - Chief Judge
Jessica R. Bear, an enrolled member of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa (Meskwaki Nation), was appointed as the Chief Trial Judge of the Meskwaki Tribal Court on June 06, 2013. Prior to being appointed the Chief Judge, Judge Bear served approximately five years as an Associate Judge and one year as a Magistrate Judge. She has also served as needed as a pro tem Judge for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and as an Appellate Justice for the Round Valley Indian Tribes Court of Appeals in California.
Before entering the judiciary, Judge Bear served as one of three Gaming Commissioners for the Sac and Fox Gaming Commission in Tama, Iowa. She also worked for four years as a Staff Attorney for the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, in Arizona, where she primarily focused on economic development and community development.
Judge Bear graduated from the University of Iowa with an undergraduate degree in Communication Studies and a Certificate in American Indian/Native Studies. She obtained her juris doctorate (J.D.) from the University of Iowa College of Law in May of 2000. She is licensed to practice law in the State of Iowa, State of New Mexico, and the Navajo Nation, and previously admitted to federal practice in the U.S. District Court District of New Mexico. She served two terms on the Grievance Commission of the Supreme Court of Iowa. She recently completed a fourth term as a Region 5 Director for the National American Indian Court Judges Association (NAICJA) representing the regions of Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, and was an At-Large Member for the NAICJA Executive Committee. Chief Judge Bear serves on the Iowa Children’s Justice Advisory Committee for the Iowa Supreme Court.
Associate Judge
Hon Judge Bear - Chief Judge
Hon Judge Bear - Chief Judge
VACANT
Pending Tribal Council Appointment
Associate Judge
Hon Judge Bear - Chief Judge
Associate Judge
VACANT
Pending Tribal Council Appointment