--- title: "Thomas Smith | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-smith-circuit-judge-nineteenth-west-judicial-circuit-nineteenth-west-judicial-circuit-division-3-ar" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Thomas Smith Nineteenth West Judicial Circuit · Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: Nineteenth West Judicial Circuit - State: Arkansas - Role: Circuit Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## 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 ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### remote hearing platform Scope: statewide Arkansas Judiciary publishes electronic-hearing Zoom resources and court-user guides for remote proceedings. Evidence excerpt: Zoom Guides for Court Users [Arkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom](https://arcourts.gov/arkansas-supreme-court-statement-novel-coronavirus-outbreak-and-courts/electronic-hearings-zoom) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### audio recording Scope: statewide Arkansas Judiciary publishes state-district-court digital audio recording guidance as an official court resource. Evidence excerpt: AOC Provisional Guidelines for Digital Audio Recording in State District Courts [Arkansas Judiciary: District Courts](https://arcourts.gov/courts/district-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://arcourts.gov/directories/circuit-judges) - [Official roster](https://arcourts.gov/directories/circuit-judges) - [Arkansas Judiciary official judicial roster](https://arcourts.gov/directories/circuit-judges) - [Arkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom](https://arcourts.gov/arkansas-supreme-court-statement-novel-coronavirus-outbreak-and-courts/electronic-hearings-zoom) - [Arkansas Judiciary: District Courts](https://arcourts.gov/courts/district-courts) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-smith-circuit-judge-nineteenth-west-judicial-circuit-nineteenth-west-judicial-circuit-division-3-ar", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-smith-circuit-judge-nineteenth-west-judicial-circuit-nineteenth-west-judicial-circuit-division-3-ar", "name": "Thomas Smith | KnowJudges", "description": "Thomas Smith, Nineteenth West Judicial Circuit. 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