Marsha K. Ternus (born May 30, 1951)[1] is an American lawyer who served as a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court from September 7, 1993, to December 31, 2010.
She was the first woman to serve as chief justice of Iowa's highest court.
[2] As a Justice, Ternus was part of the unanimous Iowa Supreme Court ruling legally recognizing same-sex marriage in Iowa.
Later, she was removed from office after a judicial retention election,[3] following campaigning by groups opposed to same-sex marriage including the National Organization for Marriage.
[4] In 2012, Ternus received a Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation,[5] along with fellow Justices David L. Baker and Michael Streit.