William H. Murphy Sr.

William Hughes Murphy Sr. (1917–2003) was an American lawyer, judge, and civil rights activist. He was the second Black person elected to the bench in the city of Baltimore, where he served as a judge for decades. He was described The Baltimore Sun as, the "People's Judge". He was born into a prominent Black family which published, the Baltimore Afro-American.

Murphy Sr. was married to Madeline Wheeler (1922–2007), a noted civil rights activist, and together they had five children. His children include Billy Murphy Jr. (born 1943), a lawyer and judge; and Laura W. Murphy (born 1955), a lobbyist and civil rights activist.