| United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas | |
|---|---|
| (W.D. Ark.) | |
| Location | Judge Isaac C. Parker Federal Building
More locations
(Harrison)
|
| Appeals to | Eighth Circuit |
| Established | March 3, 1851 |
| Judges | 3 |
| Chief Judge | Susan O. Hickey |
| Officers of the court | |
| U.S. Attorney | David Clay Fowlkes |
| U.S. Marshal | vacant |
| www | |
The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas (incase 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.[1]
The U.S. Courthouse & Post OfficeinTexarkana 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[update], the current United States attorneyisDavid Clay Fowlkes.
The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas is one of two federal judicial districts in Arkansas.[2] 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.
As of November 10, 2021[update]:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
| 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 | Fort Smith | 1938 | 1998–2009 | — | 2009–present | Clinton |
| 23 | Senior Judge | Paul K. Holmes III | Fort Smith | 1951 | 2011–2021 | 2012–2019 | 2021–present | Obama |
| 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 | – | – |
| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Ringo | AR | 1803–1873 | 1851–1861[Note 1][Note 2] | — | — | Taylor/Operation of law | resignation |
| 2 | Henry Clay Caldwell | AR | 1832–1915 | 1864–1871[Note 2] | — | — | 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[Note 3] | — | — | 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[Note 2] | 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[Note 2] | — | — | Eisenhower | elevation to 8th Cir. |
| 11 | Oren Harris | AR | 1903–1997 | 1965–1976[Note 2] | 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[Note 2] | — | 1989–1990[Note 4] | Carter | seat abolished |
| 15 | Richard S. Arnold | AR | 1936–2004 | 1978–1980[Note 2] | — | — | Carter | elevation to 8th Cir. |
| 16 | George Howard Jr. | AR | 1924–2007 | 1980–1990[Note 5] | — | — | 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[Note 6] | — | — | G.H.W. Bush | seat abolished |
| 21 | Harry F. Barnes | AR | 1932–2019 | 1993–2008 | — | 2008–2019 | Clinton | death |
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.
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| Note | American Samoa does not have a district court or federal territorial court; federal matters there go to the District of Columbia, Hawaii, or its own Supreme Court. |
