John Shepherd (Arkansas)
John Shepherd is a judge of the Arkansas 13th District Court.[1]
On January 6, 2026, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate John Shepherd to the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas.[1] As of January 6, 2026, Shepherd was awaiting an official nomination from the president and a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Click here for more information on Shepherd's federal judicial nomination.
The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On January 6, 2026, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Shepherd to the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
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| Nominee Information |
| Name: John Shepherd |
| Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas |
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Nomination
On January 6, 2026, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate John Shepherd to the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. As of January 6, 2026, Shepherd was awaiting an official nomination from the president and a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Click here for a list of other nominees who have been nominated by President Donald Trump.
About the court
| Western District of Arkansas |
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| Eighth Circuit |
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| Judgeships |
| Posts: 3 |
| Judges: 2 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Susan Hickey |
| Active judges: Timothy Brooks, Susan Hickey Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas is one of 94 United States district courts. It is further subdivided into six divisions. The district has courthouses in El Dorado, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Harrison, Hot Springs, and Texarkana. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, based in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, at the Thomas F. Eagleton Federal Courthouse and Building.
The Western District of Arkansas has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
There are six court divisions, each covering the following counties:
The El Dorado Division, covering Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Columbia, Ouachita and Union counties.
The Fayetteville Division, covering Benton, Madison and Washington counties.
The Fort Smith Division, covering Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Polk, Scott and Sebastian counties.
The Harrison Division, covering Baxter, Boone, Carroll, Marion, Newton and Searcy counties.
The Hot Springs Division, covering Clark, Garland, Hot Spring, Montgomery and Pike counties.
The Texarkana Division, covering Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada and Sevier counties.
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
External links
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas
State courts:
Arkansas Supreme Court • Arkansas Court of Appeals • Arkansas Circuit Courts • Arkansas District Courts • Arkansas City Courts
State resources:
Courts in Arkansas • Arkansas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arkansas
