The former district associate judge for Judicial District 2B started Thursday as the newest member of the nine-member Iowa Court of Appeals, following his November appointment by Gov. Kim Reynolds. The governor’s fourth appointment to the appellate court fills the vacancy left by retiring Judge Amanda Potterfield.

“I had a seed planted by law school classmates and judges that I had the skillset to be a judge,” Ahlers said, “so that seed started that interest early.”

And even though Ahlers has spent a majority of his career since 1994 in the private sector, the seed for public service started to sprout.

A 1991 finance graduate of Iowa State University and 1994 law school graduate from the University of Iowa, Ahlers practiced privately at firms in Spencer, Fort Dodge and Webster City before serving as claim counsel for Travelers Insurance Company in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 2011, Ahlers took the bench in Fort Dodge, covering a district of 13 counties.

“As I got further into practice and gained experience, I felt I had the skillset and temperament to be a good judge,” he said.

But it was more than a good match for Judge Ahlers — his duty to rise in the ranks of the court was an obligation.

“We have an obligation to apply for those spots,” in the judicial system, he explained.

If people fit for the duty do not, the less qualified will take their place, he said.

Since graduating near the top of his law school class, Ahlers said he has vigorously studied case law and presented analysis of decisions in both Iowa’s Supreme Court and Court of Appeals through “case law updates” to attorneys and judges.

“I have a good knowlege base,” Ahlers said. “Between academic ability and breadth of experience — that’s what led me to this.”

Ahlers was picked out of 11 candidates, three of whom were recommended to the governor by the commission that makes judicial appointment recommendations.

Now that his roots in the judicial system have sprouted with nearly nine years of bench experience under his belt, Judge Ahlers is ready to bloom, putting that knowledge to use with the challenges provided by the appellate court — just a step below the Iowa Supreme Court.

“It’ll be interesting, getting a broader range of cases than the last few years,” he said, as he works on the flip side of being a trial judge. “I’m looking forward to the intellectual challenge of seeing and making decisions on various cases before me.”

Now, Ahlers will assess the performance of and decisions made by trial judges like the one he used to be.

That evaluation entails analyzing briefs submitted by various parties to the courts with a claim to an error made in a district court, and the response from opposing counsel, supported by legal arguments and case law citations.

In a rapidly-changing world where the line between fact and fiction may seem, at times, as if it’s becoming more obfuscated, the process for determining facts for Judge Ahlers remains crystal clear.

“The job of judges is to ensure a fair process for all sides so that facts can be accurately determined,” said Ahlers.

Simple as that.

Once the facts are determined, legal principals are applied — whether you like the outcome or not.

“Whether you like the outcome or not is irrelevant,” the judge said. “Sometimes you don’t like that outcome, but it’s your obligation to ensure that outcome.”

No matter how high of a court he sits in, one example during his earlier years in the District Court reminds him of why: a small claims case involving a cat.

The plaintiff sued for the return of her cat from her neighbors.

“The plaintiff was a very dislikable woman. She was difficult and belligerent, with neighbors and the court,” Ahlers recalled.

In contrast, the neighbors in possession of her feline were described as pleasant, generous and kind people.

“As a knee-jerk reaction, you’re like ‘I think this cat would be better with the defendants,” he chuckled. “But there’s no ‘best interest of the cat’ standard.”

As unlikable as the plaintiff was, she was legally in the right. The woman and her cat have stayed in Ahlers’ mind as a striking example of his role in the court ever since.

In his career, Ahlers has made decisions with higher stakes, as well. He described one of the most challenging cases of his judicial career as one that balanced the interests of a fair trial and protecting an alleged victim.

A father accused of inappropriate contact and sharing obscene material with his step-daughter had difficult issues pertaining to the evidence the prosecutor wanted to submit to the court.

“I had to strike a balance,” he said. “We limited the way that evidence came in.”

“There’s times where you have to use some creativity to come up with a fair way of dealing with an evidentiary issue,” he added.

Sometimes, the judge’s job is throwing out the cookie cutter to find solutions.

As he levels up, Ahlers remains greatly concerned about Iowa’s judicial system, where a dwindling number of people are coming to serve in small towns as appointed court counsel.

He called the lack of public defenders for juvenile or criminal matters “troubling,” posing significant challenges for the court’s duty to provide adequate representation.

But with time, perhaps more seeds planted in law school students will sprout.

Applications to fill the district associate judge vacancy in District 2B are being accepted until the end of the year. Applicants will be narrowed down to three recommendations by the end of January, when the one candidate will be chosen. Ahlers’ replacement is anticipated to start by Feb. 17.

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