A sitting Iowa chief judge who oversees the state’s largest judicial district was charged with operating while intoxicated after witnesses said she was found unconscious behind the wheel of a truck driving the wrong way on Highway 30 near Boone.
Dispatchers received two 911 calls around 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, with one caller saying the driver — identified as Adria Kester, chief judge of Iowa’s Second Judicial District — “looked unconscious” and was “slumped over the steering wheel,” according to a criminal complaint from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.
Kester’s 2026 GMC Canyon Denali drifted into the median until a witness climbed in through the back window and put it in park, the affidavit says.
Deputies allege they found “a cup with a liquid that smelled like alcohol” in the vehicle and Kester had “bloodshot watery eyes and slurred speech.” She was “unsteady and could not walk on her own” and refused to answer questions or take field sobriety tests.
A warrant was obtained for a blood draw at Boone County Hospital. Kester was arrested for first-offense operating while intoxicated, taken to the Boone County Jail about 4 a.m. Nov. 5 and released later that morning without bond. The complaint does not yet include the results of any chemical test.
Court records show a sequence of recusal, transfer and reassignment of the case within hours of Kester’s arrest — a response complicated by her dual role as both a defendant and the chief judge in the 22-county district that spans north-central and northwestern Iowa, including Fort Dodge, Boone and Webster City.
On Wednesday, District Associate Judge Ashley Beisch recused herself from the case, citing a professional relationship with Kester. Boone County Attorney Matthew Speers then filed a motion to appoint a special prosecutor, noting his office also has a conflict prosecuting the case.
The court approved the request after the Polk County Attorney’s Office agreed to handle prosecution, court documents show.
The Iowa Supreme Court also intervened. In an order, Chief Justice Susan Larson Christensen directed a judge from the Fifth Judicial District, which includes the Des Moines metro, preside over the case instead of one from the Second District. Later that morning, Judge Gregory Brandt was formally appointed.
Kester appeared in person for her initial hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday. The court found probable cause for the OWI charge, recorded that she declined court-appointed counsel and ordered her to complete a substance abuse evaluation within 30 days and follow any recommended treatment. A preliminary hearing was waived. Arraignment is scheduled for 8 a.m. Dec. 22 in Des Moines.
An attorney for Kester could not immediately be reached for comment.
Spokesperson for the Iowa Judicial Branch Steve Davis declined to say whether Kester remains in her administrative role or if any internal review is underway. He said the judicial branch is aware of her arrest but could not discuss a pending case or personnel matters, noting that procedures exist under the Iowa Code of Judicial Conduct.
The Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission, he said, handles complaints against judges and can recommend discipline to the Iowa Supreme Court, which can retire, suspend, or remove a judge for reasons that include alcohol or drug abuse, habitual intemperance, willful misconduct in office or conduct that brings the judicial office into disrepute.
Kester faces a serious misdemeanor charge, punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of at least $1,250 and driver’s license restrictions if convicted.
Who is Judge Adria Kester?
Adria Anne Downey Kester earned her bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in 1994 and her law degree from Drake University Law School in 1998. She began her career as an assistant public defender before spending six years in private practice. She later moved into prosecution, serving as assistant Boone County attorney, assistant Hamilton County attorney, and eventually Boone County attorney.
In 2013, Kester was appointed as a district associate judge in Iowa’s Second Judicial District, becoming the first woman to serve on that bench. She was later retained by voters in the 2014 judicial retention election. Three years later, on June 29, 2017, Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed her as a district court judge in the same district, succeeding Judge Gary McMinimee and making her its first female district court judge.
In December 2022, Christensen named Kester chief judge of the district, with the appointment taking effect the following February. In that role, she oversees court administration across 22 counties and supervises hundreds of judges and court employees.
As chief judge, she sets policy for courthouses across the region. She has also been active in the Iowa Association of County Attorneys and in both the state and local bar associations.
Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached at nelhajj@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj.
This story was updated to add more information.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa chief judge faces OWI, allegedly found ‘slumped over the steering wheel’
Reporting by Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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