Daryl Hecht


Daryl L. Hecht was a justice on the Iowa Supreme Court and president of Iowa Trial Lawyers Association.

Early life and education

Raised on a family farm near Lytton, Iowa, Hecht received a Bachelor of Arts from Morningside College in 1974 and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 1977. Hecht entered private practice in Sioux City, Iowa, remaining in this profession for 22 years.

State judicial service

In 1999 Hecht was appointed to the Iowa Court of Appeals by Governor Tom Vilsack. In 2004, Hecht received a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law. On August 1, 2006 Hecht was appointed by Governor Vilsack to the Iowa Supreme Court. He succeeded Chief Justice Louis A. Lavorato upon Lavorato's retirement and joined the Supreme Court on September 30, 2006. In August 2017, he was retained in a retention election with 64% of the vote.
Hecht, through a press release from the Iowa Judicial Branch on November 16, 2018, announced his retirement from the court due to his battle with skin cancer. His resignation took effect December 13, 2018. On February 20, 2019, Christopher McDonald, a former Iowa Court of Appeals and 5th judicial district judge was appointed as his successor.

Death

Hecht died on April 3, 2019 at the age of 66 from melanoma.