History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas

27 judges have served since Mar 3, 1851. Now: John Thomas Shepherd RDavid Clay Wilkerson Fowlkes RTimothy Lloyd Brooks D.

Judges
27
14 D · 12 R · 1 N(
Longest tenure
26 years
John Elvis Miller
Current
6 months
John Thomas Shepherd, since Apr 23, 2026
history/court/district-court-for-the-western-district-of-arkansasEvery holder, newest first
+27
186018801900192019401960198020002020Daniel Ringo · 1851-03-03 – 1861-05-06 · None (reassignment)Henry Clay Caldwell · 1864-06-20 – 1871-03-03 · RepublicanWilliam Story · 1871-03-03 – 1874-06-17 · RepublicanIsaac Charles Parker · 1875-03-19 – 1896-11-17 · RepublicanJohn Henry Rogers · 1896-12-15 – 1911-04-16 · DemocratFrank A. Youmans · 1911-06-20 – 1932-04-11 · RepublicanHeartsill Ragon · 1933-05-17 – 1940-09-15 · DemocratJohn Elvis Miller · 1941-03-12 – 1967-02-28 · DemocratPaul X Williams · 1967-06-12 – 1981-10-31 · DemocratMorris Sheppard Arnold · 1985-12-17 – 1992-06-01 · RepublicanHarry F. Barnes · 1993-11-22 – 2008-11-01 · DemocratPaul Kinloch Holmes, III · 2011-02-08 – 2021-11-10 · DemocratDavid Clay Wilkerson Fowlkes · 2026-02-06 – present · RepublicanHarry Jacob Lemley · 1939-05-11 – 1958-09-05 · DemocratJesse Smith Henley · 1959-09-08 – 1975-03-24 · RepublicanTerry Lee Shell · 1975-09-16 – 1978-06-25 · RepublicanRichard Sheppard Arnold · 1978-09-22 – 1980-03-07 · DemocratGeorge Howard, Jr. · 1980-09-30 – 1990-12-01 · DemocratJimm Larry Hendren · 1992-03-18 – 2012-12-31 · RepublicanTimothy Lloyd Brooks · 2014-03-07 – present · DemocratOren Harris · 1965-08-12 – 1976-02-03 · DemocratElsijane Trimble Roy · 1977-11-02 – 1989-01-01 · DemocratSusan Webber Wright · 1990-01-24 – 1990-12-01 · RepublicanRobert Toombs Dawson · 1998-04-07 – 2009-08-14 · DemocratSusan Owens Hickey · 2011-10-19 – 2026-04-14 · DemocratJohn Thomas Shepherd · 2026-04-23 – present · RepublicanH[ugh] Franklin Waters · 1981-10-26 – 1997-08-01 · Republican
John Thomas Shepherd R
Apr 23, 2026 – present · 6 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 53–46
David Clay Wilkerson Fowlkes R
Feb 6, 2026 – present · 8 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 54–40
Timothy Lloyd Brooks D
Mar 7, 2014 – present · 13 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 100–0
Susan Owens Hickey D
Oct 19, 2011 – Apr 14, 2026 · 14 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Apr 14, 2026 · confirmed 83–8
Paul Kinloch Holmes, III D
Feb 8, 2011 – Nov 10, 2021 · 11 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Nov 10, 2021 · confirmed 95–0
Robert Toombs Dawson D
Apr 7, 1998 – Aug 14, 2009 · 11 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Aug 14, 2009
Harry F. Barnes D
Nov 22, 1993 – Nov 1, 2008 · 15 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Nov 1, 2008
Jimm Larry Hendren R
Mar 18, 1992 – Dec 31, 2012 · 21 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Dec 31, 2012
Susan Webber Wright R
Jan 24, 1990 – Dec 1, 1990 · 10 months · appointed by George H.W. Bush
Morris Sheppard Arnold R
Dec 17, 1985 – Jun 1, 1992 · 6.5 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan
H[ugh] Franklin Waters R
Oct 26, 1981 – Aug 1, 1997 · 16 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Aug 1, 1997
George Howard, Jr. D
Sep 30, 1980 – Dec 1, 1990 · 10 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter
Richard Sheppard Arnold D
Sep 22, 1978 – Mar 7, 1980 · 17 months · appointed by Jimmy Carter
Elsijane Trimble Roy D
Nov 2, 1977 – Jan 1, 1989 · 11 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Jan 1, 1989
Terry Lee Shell R
Sep 16, 1975 – Jun 25, 1978 · 2.8 years · appointed by Gerald Ford
Paul X Williams D
Jun 12, 1967 – Oct 31, 1981 · 14 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Oct 31, 1981
Oren Harris D
Aug 12, 1965 – Feb 3, 1976 · 10 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Feb 3, 1976
Jesse Smith Henley R
Sep 8, 1959 – Mar 24, 1975 · 16 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower
John Elvis Miller D
Mar 12, 1941 – Feb 28, 1967 · 26 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status Feb 28, 1967
Harry Jacob Lemley D
May 11, 1939 – Sep 5, 1958 · 19 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status Sep 5, 1958
Heartsill Ragon D
May 17, 1933 – Sep 15, 1940 · 7.3 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Frank A. Youmans R
Jun 20, 1911 – Apr 11, 1932 · 21 years · appointed by William H. Taft
John Henry Rogers D
Dec 15, 1896 – Apr 16, 1911 · 14 years · appointed by Grover Cleveland
Isaac Charles Parker R
Mar 19, 1875 – Nov 17, 1896 · 22 years · appointed by Ulysses Grant
William Story R
Mar 3, 1871 – Jun 17, 1874 · 3.3 years · appointed by Ulysses Grant
Henry Clay Caldwell R
Jun 20, 1864 – Mar 3, 1871 · 6.7 years · appointed by Abraham Lincoln
Daniel Ringo N(
Mar 3, 1851 – May 6, 1861 · 10 years · appointed by None (reassignment)

Dates are from the Federal Judicial Center (commission to senior status or departure). Consecutive terms of one person are merged.