Willie Gregory at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Washington · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Willie Gregory
Biography
Professional career
- He also held the role of Presiding Judge from April 2020 to July 2022, a role that oversees court administration, judicial assignments, and policy development.
- In April 2020, his peers elected him Presiding Judge for a two-year term, a position that includes supervising magistrates, setting court policies, and allocating resources
- Served in the U.S. Air Force as a Security Police Officer, honorably discharged as a staff sergeant
Education
- Seattle University School of Law — J.D. (1989)
- Bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona
Additional information
- Willie J. Gregory is an elected judge of the Seattle Municipal Court, serving from January 2023 to January 2027, and currently presides over Veterans Treatment Court, a General Trial Court, and other specialized docket assignments.
- Later founded his own law firm until 2010, before joining the Seattle Municipal Court bench.
- Assigned to Courtroom 1001 in the Seattle Municipal Court
- handling Veterans Treatment Court, General Trial Court, and previously Community and Mental Health Courts.
- Judge Gregory has presided over multiple specialized courts, including Community Court and Mental Health Court, and has been active in Veterans Treatment Court.
- His work includes jury trials, pretrial hearings, sentencing, arraignments, and non-jury trials.
- In summary: Judge Willie Gregory is a seasoned legal professional with a background in public defense, private practice, and specialized court work, now serving as a key judge in Seattle’s municipal judiciary with a focus on veterans’ services, general trials, and community justice initiatives.
- He is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, King County Bar Association, Loren Miller Bar Association, and the District and Municipal Court Judges Association, serving on committees such as Bylaws, Long-range Planning, and as chair of the Diversity Committee.
- Gregory has also volunteered in mock trial competitions, Crime Solvers at the Pacific Science Center, and on boards for organizations like Compass Housing Alliance and Rainier Scholars Parent Advisory Council.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Washington GR 16 allows video recording, audio recording, and still photography by the news media in courtrooms only after the judge has expressly granted permission.
Video and audio recording and still photography by the news media are allowed in the courtroom during and between sessions, provided (1) that permission shall have first been expressly granted by the judgeWashington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗
Statewide
If a Washington judge limits courtroom photography or recording, GR 16 requires particularized findings on the record and treats open access as presumed.
Open access is presumed; limitations on access must be supported by reasons found by the judge to be sufficiently compelling to outweigh that presumptionWashington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media
King County - Municipal Courts - Seattle
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 11, 2026.
Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster ↗Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗