{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Charles Oberly | image = Charles Oberly US Attorney.JPG | office = United States Attorney for the District of Delaware | term_start = January 24, 2011 | term_end = March 10, 2017 | president = Barack Obama<br>Donald Trump | predecessor = Colm Connolly | successor = David C. Weiss | office1 = 41st Attorney General of Delaware | term_start1 = January 1983 | term_end1 = March 1995 | governor1 = Pete du Pont<br>Mike Castle<br>Dale E. Wolf<br>Tom Carper | predecessor1 = Richard S. Gebelein | successor1 = M. Jane Brady | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|11|9}} | birth_place = Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | education = Wesley College (AA)<br/>Pennsylvania State University (BA)<br/>University of Virginia (JD) }} '''Charles Monroe Oberly III''' (born November 9, 1946)<ref name=ourcampaigns_oberly>{{Cite web | first= | last= | url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=13197 | title=Our Campaigns: Oberly III, Charles M. | work=ourcampaigns.com | date= | access-date=February 12, 2011}}</ref> is an American attorney from Delaware. He had served as United States Attorney for the District of Delaware from 2010 to 2017 and had served as Attorney General of Delaware from 1983 to 1995.

==Early life and education== Oberly was born in 1946 in Wilmington, Delaware.<ref name=us_attorney_senate_questionnaire>[http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/111thCongressExecutiveNominations/USAttorneys/upload/USA-Oberly.pdf Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire: Charles Monroe Oberly III] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061624/http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/111thCongressExecutiveNominations/USAttorneys/upload/USA-Oberly.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }}, (September 13, 2010).</ref> He earned an associate's degree from Wesley College in 1966.<ref name=us_attorney_senate_questionnaire/> Oberly then received a Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University in 1968 and a Juris Doctor from University of Virginia School of Law in 1971.<ref name=us_attorney_senate_questionnaire/>

==Career== Oberly was the Democratic Party's nominee in the 1994 Delaware Senate election.<ref name=baltimore_sun_19940908>Theo Lippman Jr., [https://archive.today/20130117163730/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1994-09-08/news/1994251117_1_delaware-william-roth-inferiority-complex Delaware Attorney General Charles Oberly...], ''The Baltimore Sun'' (September 8, 1994).</ref><ref name=thefix_20100920>Chris Cillizza, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120111214600/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/can-christine-odonnell-win.html Can Christine O'Donnell win?], ''The Fix'' (September 20, 2010).</ref> He was defeated by the incumbent senator, Republican William Roth.<ref name=thefix_20100920/> Oberly's unsuccessful Senate campaign was managed by Delaware native David Plouffe, who would go on to manage Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.<ref name=nj_20080331>James A. Barnes, [http://news.nationaljournal.com/articles/080331nj1.htm Obama's Inner Circle] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023060233/http://news.nationaljournal.com/articles/080331nj1.htm |date=2008-10-23 }}, ''National Journal'' (March 31, 2008).</ref> In 1995, he and Kathy Jennings opened their own law firm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://delawarestatenews.net/government/former-state-prosecutor-run-attorney-general/ |title=Former state prosecutor to run for attorney general |publisher=Delaware State News |date=January 9, 2018 |access-date=October 23, 2018}}</ref>

In a publicized 2001 Wilmington trial, Oberly represented a former high school teacher who was accused of raping one of his students. The case ended in a hung jury, and Oberly later secured a plea deal for the former teacher for child endangerment charges.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-09-25 |title=The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/165474735/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

On September 16, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Oberly to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Delaware.<ref name=whgov_20100916>[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2010/09/16/president-obama-nominates-charles-oberly-serve-us-attorney President Obama Nominates Charles Oberly to Serve as U.S. Attorney], ''whitehouse.gov'' (September 16, 2010).</ref> He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 10, 2010.<ref name=mj_20101210>Andrew Ramonas, [http://www.mainjustice.com/2010/12/10/senate-confirms-three-u-s-attorneys/ Senate Confirms Three U.S. Attorneys] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218111142/http://www.mainjustice.com/2010/12/10/senate-confirms-three-u-s-attorneys/ |date=2010-12-18 }}, ''Main Justice'' (December 10, 2010).</ref> In March 2017, Oberly was dismissed by United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions.<ref name="Oberly">{{cite news |date=March 11, 2017 |title=US attorney Oberly says he learned of his ouster from friend |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/11/us-attorney-oberly-says-he-learned-of-his-ouster-f/ |access-date=March 11, 2017 |work=The Washington Times |location=Washington, D.C. |issn=0732-8494 |oclc=8472624}}</ref>

==See also== * 2017 dismissal of U.S. attorneys

==References== {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-legal}} {{s-bef|before=Richard S. Gebelein}} {{s-ttl|title=Attorney General of Delaware|years=1983–1995}} {{s-aft|after=M. Jane Brady}} |- {{s-bef|before=Colm Connolly}} {{s-ttl|title=United States Attorney for the District of Delaware|years=2011–2017}} {{s-aft|after=David C. Weiss}} |- {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Shien Biau Woo}} {{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Delaware<br>(Class 1)|years=1994}} {{s-aft|after=Tom Carper}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oberly, Charles M. III}} Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Wilmington, Delaware Category:Wesley College (Delaware) alumni Category:Pennsylvania State University alumni Category:University of Virginia School of Law alumni Category:Delaware lawyers Category:Delaware attorneys general Category:United States attorneys for the District of Delaware Category:Delaware Democrats