Stephanie Marie Rose (née King; born December 17, 1972) is the
Chief United States district judge of the
United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. She is the first female judge to serve in the Southern District.
Early life and education
Rose was born Stephanie Marie King in
Topeka,
Kansas in 1972. She graduated from
Mason City High School
Mason City High School is a public high school in the Mason City Community School District. It is within the city of Mason City, Iowa, United States. It is located in Cerro Gordo County. The school colors are black and red. Until recently, th ...
in
Mason City, Iowa.
She received her
Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and sociology in 1994 from the
University of Iowa with highest distinction.
She received her
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 ...
in 1996 from the
University of Iowa College of Law with high distinction and was a member of the
Order of the Coif. During law school, she worked at Bradley & Riley, a law firm in
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. ...
. She also worked as a journalist for newspapers in Mason City,
Iowa City
Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...
, and
Webster City from 1989 to 1994, including a stint as a
dirt track racing
Dirt track racing is a form of motorsport held on clay or dirt surfaced oval race tracks often used for thoroughbred horse racing. Dirt track racing started in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 1930s ...
correspondent.
Career
Rose served over 12 years as an
Assistant United States Attorney
An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal gove ...
. She was Deputy Criminal Chief from 2008 to 2009. During her tenure she has investigated and prosecuted over 800 federal criminal cases, including leading a major internet pharmacy prosecution coordinated with 48 other offices. She has also done
pro bono
( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...
work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children. She also volunteered her services to represent domestic violence victims. From 2009 to 2012, Rose served as
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa.
[Nomination announcement from whitehouse.gov for February 2, 2012](_blank)
Whitehouse.gov (February 2, 2012). Retrieved on September 26, 2013. She tried 33 criminal cases.
She led a major multi-jurisdictional pharmaceutical fraud case involving 49 U.S. Attorneys' offices and 36 law enforcement agencies; the case resulted in convictions in the Northern District for 26 defendants.
Rose's work in the U.S. attorney's office has involved some controversy surrounding the
Postville Raid and the conviction and sentence of
Agriprocessors kosher slaughterhouse chief
Sholom Rubashkin of
Postville, Iowa on 86 financial fraud-related federal charges and his subsequent 27-year sentence in federal prison. Prosecutors, led by Rose, initially had sought a life sentence for Rubashkin, but later agreed to seek 25 years after the life sentence request was criticized by former Justice Department officials including six former Attorneys General.
Federal judicial service
On February 2, 2012, President
Barack Obama nominated Rose to be United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.
She replaced Judge
Robert W. Pratt
Robert William Pratt (born May 3, 1947) is an inactive senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.
Education and career
Pratt was born in Emmetsburg, Iowa. He received an Associate ...
, who assumed senior status on July 1, 2012, and was recommended for the position by
Tom Harkin.
The
American Bar Association rated her unanimously well-qualified. Rose received a hearing before the
Senate Judiciary Committee on March 14, 2012 and her nomination was reported to the floor on April 19, 2012, by voice vote, with
Senator Mike Lee recorded as voting no. On September 10, 2012, the Senate confirmed her nomination by a 89–1 vote, Senator DeMint casting the sole no vote.
On the Nomination (Confirmation Stephanie Marie Rose, of Iowa, to be U.S. District Judge)
Senate.gov. Retrieved on September 26, 2013. She received her commission on September 17, 2012.
See also
* List of first women lawyers and judges in Iowa
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rose, Stephanie M.
1972 births
Living people
Assistant United States Attorneys
Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
United States Attorneys for the Northern District of Iowa
United States district court judges appointed by Barack Obama
21st-century American judges
University of Iowa alumni
21st-century American women judges