--- title: "Donald G. Wilkerson | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/donald-g-wilkerson-9241" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Donald G. Wilkerson U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois · U.S. Magistrate Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois - State: Illinois - Role: U.S. Magistrate Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - He has also taught as an adjunct professor at the Washington University School of Law since 2000 - Appointment: Named U.S. Magistrate Judge on January 4, 2005 by the Southern District of Illinois judges - Retired U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, appointed in 2005 and recognized as the first African American and first person of color to serve on that court’s bench - Wilkerson’s 2005 appointment was a milestone for diversity in the federal judiciary, as he was the first African American magistrate judge in the Southern District of Illinois - Adjunct professor at Washington University School of Law; taught criminal sentencing law at Southern Illinois University School of Law (Teaching) ### Education - master's degree in education from Southern Illinois University in 1978 - Illinois State University in — B.S. (1973) ### Additional information - In 1995, he became an assistant U.S. attorney in St. Louis. - Began his legal career in 1993 with the St. Louis law firm Thompson Mitchell. - Respected for his fairness, empathy, and settlement-oriented approach, and for breaking barriers in the federal judiciary. - He later joined the Stolar Partnership firm. - His career spans legal practice, judicial service, academia, and alternative dispute resolution - He emphasized that public institutions should reflect the community’s makeup to build public trust ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### recording and broadcasting Scope: statewide Photography, broadcasting, and recording in an Illinois courtroom are permitted only under Supreme Court authority or Rule 44's stated exceptions; participants may not record a remote proceeding unless the court directs it or extended-media coverage is approved. Evidence excerpt: the taking of photographs in the courtroom during sessions of the court or recesses between proceedings and the broadcasting or televising of court proceedings are permitted only to the extent authorized by order of the Supreme Court [Illinois Supreme Court Rule 44, Photography and Video in the Courtroom](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/8db700cb-c17a-421d-8fdc-95ad22b399c9/Rule%2044.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### official record Scope: statewide The official record may be taken stenographically or through a Supreme Court-approved electronic recording system, including approved videoconferencing services. Evidence excerpt: The record of court proceedings may be taken by stenographic means or by an electronic recording system, including video conferencing services, approved by the Supreme Court. [Illinois Supreme Court Rule 46, Official Record of Court Proceedings](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/24ad75b6-a0a0-4a9f-b44e-1cf4daa67820/Rule%2046.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9241/donald-g-wilkerson/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9241/donald-g-wilkerson/) - [U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9241/donald-g-wilkerson/) - [Illinois Supreme Court Rule 44, Photography and Video in the Courtroom](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/8db700cb-c17a-421d-8fdc-95ad22b399c9/Rule%2044.pdf) - [Illinois Supreme Court Rule 46, Official Record of Court Proceedings](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/24ad75b6-a0a0-4a9f-b44e-1cf4daa67820/Rule%2046.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9241/donald-g-wilkerson/) - [Donald Wilkerson - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Donald_Wilkerson#:~:text=Judge%20Wilkerson%20received%20his%20B.S.,years%20before%20becoming%20a%20lawyer.) - [Judge Donald Wilkerson : SLU - Saint Louis University](https://www.slu.edu/law/faculty/professors-practice/donald-wilkerson.php) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/donald-g-wilkerson-9241", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/donald-g-wilkerson-9241", "name": "Donald G. Wilkerson | KnowJudges", "description": "Donald G. Wilkerson, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-07", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/donald-g-wilkerson-9241#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/donald-g-wilkerson-9241#judge", "name": "Donald G. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.