--- title: "William Walter Mercer | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/william-w-mercer" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # William Walter Mercer U.S. District Court for the District of Montana · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Montana - State: Montana - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - William Walter “Bill” Mercer is an American attorney, politician, and current judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana, appointed by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by the Senate in October 2025 - U.S. attorney for the District of Montana, 2001-2009 - U.S. Department of Justice, 2005-2007; principal associate deputy attorney general, 2005-2006; acting associate attorney general, 2006-2007 - Assistant U.S. attorney, District of Montana, 1994-2001 - Attorney advisor, U.S. Department of Justice, 1994 - His career includes service as United States Attorney for Montana, senior Justice Department positions, private practice at Holland & Hart, and the Montana House of Representatives ### Education - George Mason University School of Law (now Antonin Scalia Law School) — J.D. (1993) - Harvard University — 1988 - University of Montana — B.A. (1986) - William W. Mercer earned degrees from the University of Montana, Harvard University, and George Mason University School of Law. ### Additional information - He received his federal district court commission on November 6, 2025. - Private practice, Billings, Montana, 2010-2025 - Adjunct faculty, University of Montana, 1997-1999 - Adjunct faculty, Montana State University--Billings, 1996 - His legal career spans federal prosecution, high-level DOJ policy work, and private legal practice - Mercer’s federal service included leadership roles in the DOJ and as the top prosecutor in Montana. - He also served in the state legislature, where he sponsored legislation requiring local law enforcement cooperation with ICE. ## 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 ### courtroom technology Scope: courtwide Courtwide presentation-related guidance applies to this judge. Evidence excerpt: Courtroom Technology . The District of Montana provides electronic evidence presentation capabilities in the main courtrooms of each courthouse, as well as in Magistrate courtrooms in Billings, Great Falls, and Missoula. The courtrooms have document cameras for paper, x-ray or photographs, connections for computer-based evidence, ergonomic podiums and witness stands with touch-screen displays for annotation… [Courtroom Technology | District of Montana | United States District Court](https://www.mtd.uscourts.gov/courtroom-technology) Source checked: 2026-07-24 ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762068) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762068) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762068) - [Courtroom Technology | District of Montana | United States District Court](https://www.mtd.uscourts.gov/courtroom-technology) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [Judge William Walter Mercer](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762068) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/william-w-mercer", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/william-w-mercer", "name": "William Walter Mercer | KnowJudges", "description": "William Walter Mercer, U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. 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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-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. 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.