Robert W. Pratt

Robert William Pratt (May 3, 1947 – January 28, 2026) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. He received an Associate of Arts degree from Iowa Lakes Community College in 1967, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loras College in 1969, and a Juris Doctor from Creighton University School of Law in 1972. In college, he worked as a construction laborer and factory worker.

Career Pratt was in private practice in Des Moines, Iowa, from 1975 to 1997 at Funaro, Brick, & Pratt, then at Hedberg, Brick, Tann, Pratt & Ward, and then as a sole practitioner. He also worked for Harkin's political campaigns. Even after the Sentencing Guidelines became advisory in United States v. Booker, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit continued to strictly enforce them, and it reversed Pratt nine times for sentencing below the guidelines. Pratt taught sentencing seminars through the Federal Judicial Center.

In a December 28, 2020, interview with the Associated Press, Pratt criticized President Donald Trump for his pardons, stating that "t's not surprising that a criminal like Trump pardons other criminals" and that "pparently to get a pardon, one has to be either a Republican, a convicted child murderer or a turkey." The group Fix the Court complained about Pratt's remarks, which were found to be inappropriate upon review by Chief Judge Lavenski Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

On September 13, 2021, Pratt issued a temporary restraining order blocking Iowa House File 847, which prohibits local school districts from putting mask mandates in place. This temporary restraining order allowed local school boards to pass their own mask mandates. The Eighth Circuit affirmed Judge Pratt's decision.

Personal life and death Pratt and his wife, Rose Mary (née Vito), had three children.