Charles Robert Wolle (October 16, 1935 – December 6, 2022) was a
United States district judge of the
United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa and a justice of the
Iowa Supreme Court.
Education
Born in
Sioux City, Iowa, Wolle received a
Bachelor of Arts from
Harvard College in 1959, and a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
from the
University of Iowa College of Law in 1961. His brother, William D. Wolle, served as the American ambassador to
Bahrain,
Oman, and the
United Arab Emirates.
Legal and state judicial career
Wolle was in private practice in Sioux City from 1961 to 1980, practicing at Shull, Marshall, Mayne, Marks & Vizintos, where his mentor was future congressman
Wiley Mayne. He practiced civil litigation and labor law. He also served as a Reserve Sergeant in the
United States Army from 1961 to 1967.
He was a judge of the Iowa District Court for the Third Judicial District, from 1981 to 1983, nominated by
Robert D. Ray
Robert Dolph Ray (September 26, 1928 – July 8, 2018) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. He served as the 38th governor of Iowa from January 16, 1969 to January 14, 1983.
During his tenure as governor, Ray served as chair of t ...
. He became a justice of the
Iowa Supreme Court on March 11, 1983, serving until August 12, 1987. During that time, he chaired the committee that drafted the Iowa Rules of Evidence.
He also became a member of the faculty of the
National Judicial College in 1983.
Federal judicial service
On July 1, 1987, Wolle was nominated by President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
to a seat on the
United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa that was vacated when Judge
William Corwin Stuart
William Corwin Stuart (April 28, 1920 – August 12, 2010) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, and United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern D ...
assumed senior status. Wolle was nominated on the recommendation of
Chuck Grassley.
Wolle was confirmed by the
United States Senate on August 5, 1987, and received his commission on August 6, 1987. He served as Chief Judge of the Southern District from 1992 to 2001. Wolle assumed
senior status on October 16, 2001 and retired from active service on December 2, 2021.
Wolle also regularly sat with the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Wolle would split time between
Douglas County, Nevada and
Iowa and sat with the
United States District Court for the District of Nevada and the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. As a judge, Wolle was known for emphasizing terse and concise judicial opinions.
Wolle died on December 6, 2022.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolle, Charles R.
1935 births
2022 deaths
20th-century American judges
21st-century American judges
Harvard College alumni
Iowa state court judges
Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
Justices of the Iowa Supreme Court
People from Sioux City, Iowa
United States Army soldiers
United States district court judges appointed by Ronald Reagan
University of Iowa College of Law alumni