William F. Downes

William F. Downes
Official Portrait of Judge Wm. F. Downes
by Michele Rushworth
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming
In office
1999–2011
Preceded byAlan Bond Johnson
Succeeded byNancy D. Freudenthal
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming
In office
June 16, 1994 – July 24, 2011
Appointed byBill Clinton
Preceded bySeat established by 104 Stat. 5089
Succeeded byScott W. Skavdahl
Personal details
Born (1946-07-24) July 24, 1946 (age 77)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationUniversity of North Texas (BA)
University of Houston Law Center (JD)

William Francis Downes (born July 24, 1946)[1] is a retired United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming.

Education and career[edit]

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Downes received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Texas in 1968 and served in the United States Marine Corps from 1968 to 1971. He received a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center in 1974. He was in private practice in Green River, Wyoming from 1975 to 1978 and in Casper, Wyoming from 1978 to 1994.

Federal judicial service[edit]

On May 5, 1994, Downes was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a new seat on the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming created by 104 Stat. 5089. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 15, 1994, and received his commission on June 16, 1994. He became chief judge in 1999 and retired in 2011. His official portrait was painted by artist Michele Rushworth and hangs in the federal courthouse in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

References[edit]

Legal offices
Preceded by
Seat established by 104 Stat. 5089
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming
1994–2011
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming
1999–2011
Succeeded by
  1. ^ Who's Who in American Law. Vol. 2. Marquis Who's Who. 1977. p. 228.