Billy Roy Wilson

American judge (1939–2025)

For other people named Billy Wilson or William Wilson, see William Wilson (disambiguation) .

William Roy Wilson Jr. (December 18, 1939 – October 27, 2025) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas .

Education and career

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Born in Little Rock , Arkansas , Wilson received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hendrix College in 1962 and a Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1965. He was in private practice in Texarkana , Arkansas from 1965 to 1966. He was a deputy prosecuting attorney of Miller County , Arkansas from 1965 to 1966. He was in the United States Navy as a lieutenant (junior grade) from 1966 to 1969. He was in private practice in Little Rock, Arkansas from 1969 to 1993. He briefly served as acting Arkansas Attorney General in the mid-1970s.

Federal judicial service

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Wilson was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas . He was nominated by President Bill Clinton on August 6, 1993, to a seat vacated by G. Thomas Eisele . Wilson was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 30, 1993, and received his commission on October 1, 1993. He assumed senior status on October 1, 2008.

Name change

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On January 12, 2011, Wilson's name was legally changed from William Roy Wilson Jr. to Billy Roy Wilson, which was his intended name at birth. Two days later, the United States District Court directed that all cases before Wilson hereafter reflect his new name.

Death

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Wilson died in Rochester, Minnesota , on October 27, 2025, at the age of 85.

References

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1. ↑ "Encyclopedia of Arkansas" . Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
2. ↑ "Wilson, Billy Roy" . Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
3. ↑ Judge Name Change from William R. Wilson Jr. to Billy Roy Wilson (January 14, 2011). United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas . Accessed July 16, 2013.
4. ↑ Dumas, Ernest (28 October 2025). "Billy Roy Wilson, federal judge known for wisdom, integrity and mules, dies at 85" . Arkansas Times. Retrieved 28 October 2025.

Sources

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• Billy Roy Wilson at the _Biographical Directory of Federal Judges _, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center .

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billy_Roy_Wilson&oldid=1347497783 "

Categories :

• 1939 births

• 2025 deaths

• 20th-century American judges

• 21st-century American judges

• Hendrix College alumni

• Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas

• Lawyers from Little Rock, Arkansas

• United States district court judges appointed by Bill Clinton

• Vanderbilt University Law School alumni

• Arkansas attorneys general

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• Articles with short description

• Short description is different from Wikidata

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• Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges

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