Iowa’s legal community is reeling after Adria Kester, the chief judge of the state’s Second Judicial District, pleaded guilty to operating while under the influence—a month after a harrowing wrong-way driving incident that ended with her unconscious behind the wheel. Kester, 55, admitted to the misdemeanor charge and will serve a year of probation, pay a $1,250 fine, and complete a 48-hour OWI program, according to court records.
The November 4 incident began around 8 p.m., when alarmed drivers called 911 to report a 2026 GMC Canyon Denali traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 30 near Boone, roughly 45 miles northwest of Des Moines. A criminal complaint obtained by the Associated Press describes motorists watching in disbelief as the truck drifted into the median with Kester slumped over the wheel.
One witness tried to open the driver’s door, but the truck kept rolling. Forced to improvise, the Good Samaritan climbed through a rear window to reach the cab and stop the vehicle before it caused a deadly crash.
When Boone County deputies arrived, they found Kester unconscious in the driver’s seat. A cup containing a liquid that smelled strongly of alcohol sat nearby, according to the affidavit. Deputies reported that the judge’s eyes were bloodshot, her speech slurred, and she was so impaired she could not walk. They decided it was unsafe to administer field sobriety tests. Emergency responders transported her to a hospital, where blood was drawn for testing. The results have not been made public.
“Judge Kester recognizes the seriousness of the situation and is fully cooperating with law enforcement and the judicial process,” her attorney Matt Lindholm said. “She is committed to addressing this matter responsibly and in accordance with the law.”
Kester has served on the bench since 2017, following a career that spanned roles as a prosecutor, public defender, and private attorney. Her conviction now hangs over a judiciary that expects its leaders to model restraint and responsibility—standards she failed to uphold on a dark November night when, by sheer luck and the quick action of a passerby, no one was hurt.
