On Thursday, November 6, 2025, ABC News reported that Adria Kester, the chief judge of Iowa’s Second Judicial District, was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) following an incident on Tuesday night. Witnesses reported Kester was driving the wrong way on U.S. Highway 30 near Boone, Iowa, while apparently unconscious behind the wheel.

According to a criminal complaint, multiple motorists contacted 911 around 8 p.m. on Tuesday to report a truck traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes. One witness stated that the driver appeared to be unconscious and slumped over the steering wheel, and that the vehicle had drifted into the highway median. The witness further reported exiting their own vehicle to check on the driver, but was unable to open the truck’s door. The truck, identified as a 2026 GMC Canyon Denali, was reportedly still slowly moving in the median. The witness then climbed into the back of the vehicle to put it in park and turn off the engine.

Upon arriving at the scene, a Boone County sheriff’s deputy found Kester, 55, of Ogden, Iowa, in the driver’s seat. The deputy reported that Kester appeared heavily intoxicated and unsteady. Unable to walk unassisted, she was helped to an ambulance for medical evaluation. The complaint states that after being medically cleared, Kester remained unable to walk and refused to submit to field sobriety testing. The deputy determined that conducting such tests would be unsafe given her condition.

A warrant was subsequently issued, and a blood sample was taken from Kester at the Boone County Hospital. She was then arrested for first offense OWI and booked into jail around 4 a.m. Wednesday. The results of the blood test have not been released.

Kester was released from the Boone County Jail on Wednesday morning after an initial court appearance. The judge ordered her to undergo a substance abuse evaluation within 30 days and to comply with any recommended treatment. Court records do not currently list an attorney representing Kester. A phone number associated with her provided an automated message stating that the party was temporarily unavailable.

Steve Davis, a spokesperson for the Iowa Judicial Branch, acknowledged the court system was aware of Kester’s arrest but declined to comment further, citing the pending case and personnel matter. Davis noted that the Judicial Qualifications Commission investigates allegations of misconduct by Iowa judges and can recommend disciplinary actions, including retirement, discipline, or removal, to the Iowa Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Susan Christensen appointed Kester as chief judge of the Second Judicial District in December 2022. The district encompasses 22 counties in northern and central Iowa, making it the largest geographically in the state. As chief judge, Kester oversees hundreds of judges and court employees and presides over cases. Kester was appointed as a district judge by Governor Kim Reynolds in 2017, following her career as a prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer.

Due to Kester’s position, the case has already seen complications. One district associate judge recused herself from the case due to her professional relationship with Kester. Chief Justice Christensen then issued an order to appoint a judge from another district to handle the case, with Judge Gregory Brandt later designated. The Boone County Attorney’s Office also cited a conflict of interest and requested the appointment of the Polk County Attorney’s Office as a special prosecutor.

 

 

Source: ABC News