Thomas Smith at a glance
- Current role
- Circuit Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Arkansas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Thomas Smith
Circuit Judge · Nineteenth West Judicial Circuit
Biography
Professional career
- Special Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Justice in the Texas Attorney General’s Office since 2015
- Republican candidate running for Place 3 Judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in the November 3, 2026 general election
- Biography of Hon. Thomas E. Smith, Arkansas Circuit Judge
- Contact (Clerk’s Office): +1 (479) 271‐1020 the biographical record
- Judge Smith’s combination of legal experience, community advocacy, and judicial service has made him a notable figure in Benton County’s legal system
- Legal Career: Law clerk to Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer; attorney at Jones Day in Dallas
- juvenile justice reform
Education
- Master’s in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin in 2013.
- Ohio State University College of Law in — J.D. (1996)
- Bachelor’s degree in 1993 from the University of Akron
- Bachelor’s degree in Business – John Brown University the biographical record+1
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) – University of Arkansas School of Law the biographical record+1
Additional information
- His current term is active, with prior terms ending in 2020
- re‐elected in 2014 and 2020
- first elected to the bench in 2012
- Notable Work: Helped ban “sanctuary cities” in Texas, authored laws against human trafficking, and supported religious liberty protections.
- Smith opposes what he calls “destructive judicial activism” and pledges a conservative, limited judicial philosophy to protect the Constitution and the rule of law.
- private practice
- He frames his run as a defense against activist judges and a restoration of traditional judicial principles.
- He presides over cases in the 19th West Judicial Circuit, which covers Benton County and surrounding areas.
- in Benton County, Arkansas, serving in Division 3
- and has since been
- Advocacy/Reform/Change Award
- Center for Children’s Law and Policy
- Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative
- This program uses data‐driven strategies to connect at‐risk youth with alternatives to confinement
- Court: 19th West Judicial Circuit Court of Arkansas, Department 3 the biographical record
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
Arkansas Judiciary publishes electronic-hearing Zoom resources and court-user guides for remote proceedings.
Zoom Guides for Court UsersArkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom ↗
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Arkansas Judiciary publishes state-district-court digital audio recording guidance as an official court resource.
AOC Provisional Guidelines for Digital Audio Recording in State District CourtsArkansas Judiciary: District Courts ↗
Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 26, 2026.
Arkansas Judiciary official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Arkansas Judiciary official judicial roster ↗Arkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Arkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom ↗Arkansas Judiciary: District Courts
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Arkansas Judiciary: District Courts ↗