Born in Brooklyn, New York, Byers received a Bachelor of Laws from Columbia Law School in 1898, and then served as a sergeant in the 23rd Regiment of the New York State National Guard in World War I.

He was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 20, 1929, and received his commission the same day.

[2] In 1957, Byers presided over the trial of Soviet spy Vilyam Genrikhovich Fisher (better known by his alias, Rudolf Abel) in what was known as the Hollow Nickel Case.

Fisher was convicted on three counts, and on November 15, 1957, Byers sentenced Fisher to concurrent terms of imprisonment of thirty, ten and five years on the three counts and fined him a total of three thousand dollars.

[3] Byers was portrayed by Dakin Matthews in Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies.