# United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas

The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas (in case citations, W.D. Ark.) is a federal court in the Eighth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
The District was established on March 3, 1851, with the division of the preceding United States District Court for the District of Arkansas into an Eastern and Western district.
The U.S. Courthouse & Post Office in Texarkana is shared with the Eastern District of Texas, making it the sole federal courthouse located in two states and a location of two federal districts.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Arkansas represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of November 17, 2021, the current United States attorney is David Clay Fowlkes.

## Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas is one of two federal judicial districts in Arkansas. Court for the District is held at El Dorado, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Harrison, Hot Springs, and Texarkana.
El Dorado Division comprises the following counties: Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Columbia, Ouachita, and Union.
Fayetteville Division comprises the following counties: Benton, Madison, and Washington.
Fort Smith Division comprises the following counties: Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Polk, Scott, and Sebastian.
Harrison Division comprises the following counties: Baxter, Boone, Carroll, Marion, Newton, and Searcy.
Hot Springs Division comprises the following counties: Clark, Garland, Hot Spring, Montgomery, and Pike.
Texarkana Division comprises the following counties: Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, and Sevier.

## Current judges

As of November 10, 2021:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Term of service | Term of service | Appointed by |
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Active | Chief | Senior | Appointed by |
| 24 | Chief Judge | Susan O. Hickey | El Dorado | 1955 | 2011–present | 2019–present | — | Obama |
| 25 | District Judge | Timothy L. Brooks | Fayetteville | 1964 | 2014–present | — | — | Obama |
| 26 | District Judge | vacant | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | Senior Judge | Jimm Larry Hendren | inactive | 1940 | 1992–2012 | 1997–2012 | 2012–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 22 | Senior Judge | Robert T. Dawson | inactive | 1938 | 1998–2009 | — | 2009–present | Clinton |
| 23 | Senior Judge | Paul K. Holmes III | Fort Smith | 1951 | 2011–2021 | 2012–2019 | 2021–present | Obama |

## Vacancies and pending nominations

| Seat | Prior judge's duty station | Seat last held by | Vacancy reason | Date of vacancy | Nominee | Date of nomination |
| 2 | Fort Smith | Paul K. Holmes III | Senior status | November 10, 2021 | – | – |

## Former judges

| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
| 1 | Daniel Ringo | AR | 1803–1873 | 1851–1861 | — | — | Taylor/Operation of law | resignation |
| 2 | Henry Clay Caldwell | AR | 1832–1915 | 1864–1871 | — | — | Lincoln | seat abolished |
| 3 | William Story | AR | 1843–1921 | 1871–1874 | — | — | Grant | resignation |
| 4 | Isaac C. Parker | AR | 1838–1896 | 1875–1896 | — | — | Grant | death |
| 5 | John Henry Rogers | AR | 1845–1911 | 1896–1911 | — | — | Cleveland | death |
| 6 | Frank A. Youmans | AR | 1860–1932 | 1911–1932 | — | — | Taft | death |
| 7 | Heartsill Ragon | AR | 1885–1940 | 1933–1940 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 8 | Harry Jacob Lemley | AR | 1883–1965 | 1939–1958 | 1948–1958 | 1958–1965 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 9 | John E. Miller | AR | 1888–1981 | 1941–1967 | 1958–1967 | 1967–1981 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 10 | J. Smith Henley | AR | 1917–1997 | 1959–1975 | — | — | Eisenhower | elevation to 8th Cir. |
| 11 | Oren Harris | AR | 1903–1997 | 1965–1976 | 1967–1973 | 1976–1997 | L. Johnson | death |
| 12 | Paul X. Williams | AR | 1908–1994 | 1967–1981 | 1973–1981 | 1981–1994 | L. Johnson | death |
| 13 | Terry Shell | AR | 1922–1978 | 1975–1978 | — | — | Ford | death |
| 14 | Elsijane Trimble Roy | AR | 1916–2007 | 1977–1989 | — | 1989–1990 | Carter | seat abolished |
| 15 | Richard S. Arnold | AR | 1936–2004 | 1978–1980 | — | — | Carter | elevation to 8th Cir. |
| 16 | George Howard Jr. | AR | 1924–2007 | 1980–1990 | — | — | Carter | seat abolished |
| 17 | Hugh Franklin Waters | AR | 1932–2002 | 1981–1997 | 1981–1997 | 1997–2002 | Reagan | death |
| 18 | Morris S. Arnold | AR | 1941–present | 1985–1992 | — | — | Reagan | elevation to 8th Cir. |
| 19 | Susan Webber Wright | AR | 1948–present | 1990–1990 | — | — | G.H.W. Bush | seat abolished |
| 21 | Harry F. Barnes | AR | 1932–2019 | 1993–2008 | — | 2008–2019 | Clinton | death |
* ↑ Reassigned from the District of Arkansas.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Jointly appointed to the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 8, 1896, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 15, 1896, and received commission the same day
* ↑ From 1989 to 1990, Judge Roy served as a Senior Judge of the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas.
* ↑ From 1980 to 1990, Judge Howard was jointly appointed to the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas.
* ↑ From 1990 to 1990, Judge Wright was jointly appointed to the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas.

## Chief judges

Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.
A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

## Succession of seats

Seat 1 :
| Seat reassigned from District of Arkansas on March 3, 1851 by 9 Stat. 594 (concurrent with Eastern District) ||
| Ringo | 1851–1861 |
| Caldwell | 1864–1871 |
| Seat reassigned solely to the Eastern District on March 3, 1871 by 16 Stat. 471 ||
Seat 2 :
| Seat established on March 3, 1871 by 16 Stat. 471 ||||
| Story | 1871–1874 |
| Parker | 1875–1896 |
| Rogers | 1896–1911 |
| Youmans | 1911–1932 |
| Ragon | 1933–1940 |
| Miller | 1941–1967 |
| Williams | 1967–1981 |
| Waters | 1981–1997 |
| Dawson | 1998–2009 |
| Holmes III | 2011–2021 |
| vacant | 2021–present |
Seat 3 :
| Seat established on May 31, 1938 by 52 Stat. 584 (concurrent with Eastern District) ||
| Lemley | 1939–1958 |
| Henley | 1959–1975 |
| Shell | 1975–1978 |
| R. Arnold | 1978–1980 |
| Howard Jr. | 1980–1990 |
| Seat reassigned solely to Eastern District on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||
Seat 4 :
| Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 (concurrent with Eastern District) ||
| Harris | 1965–1976 |
| Roy | 1977–1989 |
| Wright | 1990 |
| Seat reassigned solely to Eastern District on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||
Seat 5 :
| Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 (temporary) ||||
| Seat made permanent on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||||
| M. Arnold | 1985–1992 |
| Barnes | 1993–2008 |
| Hickey | 2011–present |
Seat 6 :
| Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||||
| Hendren | 1992–2012 |
| Brooks | 2014–present |

## U.S. Attorney

* Jesse Turner 1851-53
* Alfred M. Wilson 1853-61
* Granville Wilcox 1861-69
* James H. Huckleberry 1869-72
* Newton J. Temple 1872-75
* W. H. H. Clayton 1875-85
* Monti H. Sandels 1885-89
* W. H. H. Clayton 1889-93
* James F. Read 1893-97
* Thomas H. Barnes 1897-98
* James K. Barnes 1898-1909
* Lafayette W. Gregg 1909
* John I. Worthington 1909-13 J.
* Virgil Bourland 1913-17
* Emon O. Mahoney 1917-20
* James Seaborn Holt 1920
* Steve Carrigan 1920
* Samuel S. Langley 1921-30
* William N. Ivie 1930-34
* Clinton R. Barry 1934-46
* Respess S. Wilson 1946-53
* Charles W. Atkinson 1953-61
* Charles M. Conway 1961-69
* Robert E. Johnson 1969
* Bethel B. Larey 1969-73
* Robert E. Johnson 1973-77
* Larry R. McCord 1977-82
* W. Asa Hutchinson 1982-85
* J. Michael Fitzhugh 1985-93
* Paul K. Holmes 1993-2001
* Bill Cromwell (Acting) 2001
* Thomas C Gean 2001-2003
* Bill Cromwell 2003-2004
* Robert C. Balfe 2004-2008
* Deborah or Debbie Groom (Acting) 2008 - 2010
* Conner Eldridge 2010-2015
* Duane Kees 2018-2020
* David Clay Fowlkes 2020-present