Charles Robert Wolle

Charles Robert Wolle (October 16, 1935 – December 6, 2022) was an American jurist who served as a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court from 1983 to 1987, and as a federal judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa from 1987 until his death.

Education

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Wolle received a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College in 1959, and a Juris Doctor 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.

Federal judicial service

On July 1, 1987, Wolle was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa that was vacated when Judge William Corwin Stuart assumed senior status. Wolle was nominated on the recommendation of Chuck Grassley.

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.