Rotter tagged for U.S. Marshal

MARENGO — Iowa County Sheriff Rob Rotter has always wanted to be a U.S. Marshal. He’ll get that chance if the United States Senate confirms his nomination to serve as the U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Iowa.

“I don’t know how many people can say their dreams came true from when they were a child, but mine did, ” Rotter said Friday.

Rotter said he’s always wanted to be a peace officer with an ultimate goal of being a U.S. Marshal. “It’s been on my radar pretty much forever,” he said.

“There was an application process, and it was through the two senate offices that we have,” Rotter said. “And they chose me, and then they sent that recommendation on to President. Trump.

The Trump administration sent Rotter’s nomination to the U.S. Senate for confirmation. The conformation could take a while, especially because of the shutdown, said Rotter. He may be confirmed in two or three months, but it’s hard to tell, he said.

Iowa has two Marshal districts, said Rotter, the northern and the southern, split roughly along Interstate 80, but not exactly. The northern district covers 52 county and has courthouses in Cedar Rapids and Sioux City.

Rotter, who lives in Parnell, will work mostly out of the Cedar Rapids office, he said. “It’s under an hour to get there from my house.”

The job is pretty much the same as what he’s been doing as sheriff, but on a federal level, he said. “Almost think of it as a sheriff’s office for the federal system.”

The marshal is the right hand of the court, but on a federal level, Rotter said.

If someone has a warrant in Iowa and flees to another state, the marshal will go get the fugitive, Rotter said. The marshal service also takes care of seized property and the protection of the courts.

“They just don’t go out on patrol, and they don’t run a dispatch center,” Rotter said.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst endorsed Rotter’s nomination in a press release Oct. 8.

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“I’m proud to endorse Robert Rotter to be U.S. Marshal for Iowa’s Northern District,” Grassley said. “I was glad to join Sen. Ernst in recommending Sheriff Rotter for the position, and I thank President Trump for taking our recommendation.

“With over three decades of experience in state and local law enforcement, Sheriff Rotter is an excellent candidate to protect and serve the people of Iowa. He has my enthusiastic support, and as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I'll work to move his nomination forward swiftly,” Grassley said.

“I’m proud to see Iowan Robert Rotter nominated to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Iowa,” Ernst said. “As a longtime sheriff, he’s shown unwavering commitment to protecting Iowans and keeping our communities safe. I’m confident he’ll bring the same dedication and integrity to this new role once he is confirmed.”

Rotter has worked in Iowa’s state and local law enforcement for over 30 years and served as Iowa County’s first K-9 officer, the press release said. Rotter has maintained certifications in technical traffic accident investigations, active shooter training, underwater diving and jail administration.

Rotter has also completed extensive training by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

As Iowa County Sheriff, Rotter spearheaded a program to properly dispose of expired and unused prescription and over-the-counter medication and initiated a county wide active shooter program that helped train over 1,500 students, teachers, industrial and retail employees.

Rotter recently worked with Compass Memorial Healthcare to provide deputies at the hospital, and he’s worked with the U.S. Marshals Service to house federal prisoners in Iowa County Jail for $85 a day, bringing in revenue for the county.

“The Marshals office in Cedar Rapids likes what we do,“ said Rotter in January.

Doug Strike, of Nashua, was U.S. Marshal for the Northern District from 2019-2022. He retired for medical reasons, said Rotter, and the Biden administration didn’t appoint a replacement.

Only 94 people in the country hold the position of U.S. Marshal at any one time.