Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Woods was in the United States Army during World War II, from 1943 to 1946.

He was the Chief Assistant United States Attorney of the Eastern District of Michigan from 1953 to 1960.

He was the chief special prosecutor for the Wayne County Grand Jury from 1965 to 1966.

[1] Woods served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan from 1981 to 1983.

Woods was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on November 1, 1983, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan vacated by Judge Patricia Boyle.