Godbey was born in
Temple, Texas. He received a
Bachelor of Science degree and
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from
Southern Methodist University in 1978 and a
Juris Doctor from
Harvard Law School in 1982. He was a
law clerk to Judge
Irving Loeb Goldberg of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1982 to 1983. He was in private practice in Dallas from 1983 to 1994. He was a judge on the 160th District Court, State of Texas from 1994 to 2002.
Federal judicial service Godbey was nominated by President
George W. Bush on January 23, 2002, to a seat vacated by Judge
Robert B. Maloney. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate on August 1, 2002, and received his commission on August 2, 2002. He sits in
Dallas. He became chief judge on September 6, 2022. He assumed
senior status on September 17, 2025. ==References==