William Theodore Moore Jr.

For other people named William Moore, see William Moore (disambiguation).

William Theodore Moore Jr.
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
In office February 28, 2017 – March 31, 2024
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
In office 2004–2010
Preceded by	Dudley Hollingsworth Bowen Jr.
Succeeded by	Lisa Godbey Wood
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
In office October 11, 1994 – February 28, 2017
Appointed by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Anthony Alaimo
Succeeded by	R. Stan Baker
Recorders Court Judge for Garden City, Georgia
In office 1984–1994
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia
In office July 5, 1977 – June 15, 1981
Appointed by	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	R. Jackson B. Smith, Jr.
Succeeded by	Hinton R. Pierce
Personal details
Born	William Theodore Moore Jr. (1940-05-07) May 7, 1940 Bainbridge, Georgia, U.S.
Spouse	Jane S. Hodges
Education	Georgia Military College (AA) University of Georgia (LLB)

William Theodore Moore Jr. (born May 7, 1940) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

Early life, education and career

Born in Bainbridge, Georgia, Moore received an Associate of Arts degree from Georgia Military College in 1960 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1964. He was in private practice in Savannah, Georgia from 1964 to 1977. He was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia from 1977 to 1981. He was in private practice in Savannah from 1981 to 1994. He was a pro-tem recorders court judge, Garden City, Georgia from 1984 to 1994.

Federal judicial service

On July 13, 1994, Moore was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia vacated by Anthony Alaimo. Moore was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 7, 1994, and received his commission on October 11, 1994. He served as chief judge from 2004 to 2010. He assumed senior status on February 28, 2017. Moore retired from active service on March 31, 2024.

Notable cases

In August 2010, Moore ruled on the prominent Troy Davis case. Davis was a Georgia inmate on death row, accused and convicted of murdering a police officer in 1989. Davis's guilt has been questioned, due to the release of new information, including the complete or partial recantation of the testimonies of seven (out of nine total) prosecution witnesses. In his ruling, Moore stated that Davis and his legal team had failed to demonstrate his innocence, as the added information was "largely smoke and mirrors" and added only "minimal doubt"; Moore dismissed four recantations as not credible, and two of them as only partly credible, finding that only one was wholly credible. He did not consider the alleged confessions of Redd Cole, another suspect in the case, because of the failure of Davis's lawyers to subpoena Cole and give him opportunity for rebuttal, and suggested that Davis should appeal directly to the Supreme Court. Davis was executed by lethal injection on September 21, 2011.

Sources

• William Theodore Moore Jr. at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.