William Roy Wilson Jr. at a glance
- Current role
- Former Judge
- Current assignment
- 2 current judicial positions
- Jurisdiction
- Arkansas · State
- Judicial service
- Former
William Roy Wilson Jr.
Former Judge · Supreme Court of Arkansas
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1993-present
- Judge, Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 1993-present
- William Roy Wilson Jr. (December 18, 1939 – October 27, 2025) was a U.S. federal judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas, later known as Billy Roy Wilson after a legal name change.
- Nominated by President Bill Clinton on August 6, 1993, Wilson was confirmed by the Senate on September 30, 1993, and commissioned as U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas on October 1, 1993
- He briefly acted as Arkansas Attorney General in the mid‐1970s
- Deputy prosecutor, Miller County, Arkansas, 1965-1966 U.S. Navy lieutenant junior grade, 1966-1969
- Wilson practiced law in Texarkana and Little Rock, Arkansas, and held the role of deputy prosecuting attorney for Miller County from 1965 to 1966
Education
- B.A. from Hendrix College in 1962 and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1965.
Additional information
- Judge Wilson died in Rochester, Minnesota, on October 27, 2025, at age 85.
- A secular humanist memorial service was held November 8, 2025, at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock Ruebel Funeral Home.
- Appointed and served until January 12, 2011, as William Roy Wilson, Jr.
- In January 2011, his name was legally changed from William Roy Wilson Jr. to Billy Roy Wilson, reflecting his intended name at birth.
- He assumed senior status on October 1, 2008, maintaining an 80% case load until his death Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
- Private practice, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1969-1993
- He also served in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant (junior grade) from 1966 to 1969.
- Wilson, Billy Roy | Federal Judicial Center Home Federal Judicial Center Search tips You are here Wilson, Billy Roy Private practice, Texarkana, Arkansas, 1965-1966
- Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Roy and Vada Bowen Wilson, he was raised in Forester and Waldron, Arkansas Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
- His interest in law was sparked early, reportedly during jury service in Fort Smith, Arkansas Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
Arkansas Judiciary publishes electronic-hearing Zoom resources and court-user guides for remote proceedings.
Zoom Guides for Court UsersArkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom ↗
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Arkansas Judiciary publishes state-district-court digital audio recording guidance as an official court resource.
AOC Provisional Guidelines for Digital Audio Recording in State District CourtsArkansas Judiciary: District Courts ↗
Sources
Identity source checked August 22, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
Supreme Court of Arkansas current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 22, 2026
View Supreme Court of Arkansas current judicial profile ↗Arkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Arkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom ↗Arkansas Judiciary: District Courts
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Arkansas Judiciary: District Courts ↗