[1] Raised on a family farm near Lytton, Iowa,[2] Hecht received a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from Morningside College in 1974 and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 1977.
His practice included plaintiff civil litigation, workers' compensation, and appeals.
[3] In 1999 Hecht was appointed to the Iowa Court of Appeals by Governor Tom Vilsack.
[1][2] On August 1, 2006, Hecht was appointed by Governor Vilsack to the Iowa Supreme Court.
[6] 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.