US Attorney Fowlkes nominated for Western District of Arkansas federal judge

In an unusual move by the Trump administration, David Clay Fowlkes, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, has been nominated to be a federal judge in the Western District of Arkansas.

According to a Reuters report, the nomination of Fowlkes and two other persons were not formally nominated through a White House news release, but instead their names were submitted Oct. 23 to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It is unclear if Fowlkes will at a later date be formally nominated by the Trump administration.

Fowlkes’ office did not respond to a request for comment.

If confirmed by the Senate committee and the U.S. Senate, Fowlkes would succeed U.S. District Court Judge P.K. Holmes III.

Fowlkes was born in Harrison and holds a bachelor’s degree from Arkansas State University and juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas. After graduating law school, he worked with the Benton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office as a deputy prosecuting attorney and as a division.

Fowlkes began in 2007 working in the U.S. Attorney’s office, with his jobs including deputy criminal chief, criminal chief, and first assistant United States Attorney. He was named the attorney for the district in 2020.

Judges now in the Western District are Chief Judge Timothy Brooks (Fayetteville bench), Judge Susan Hickey (El Dorado), Magistrate Judge Christy Comstock (Fayetteville), Magistrate Judge Mark Ford (Fort Smith), and Magistrate Judge Spencer Singleton (El Dorado).

Holmes, who serves in Fort Smith, is serving in a senior status role. Holmes was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2011 and was named chief judge of the district in February 2012. Holmes was the U.S. Attorney for the Western District between 1993 and 2001.

The seat was once held by the historic federal Judge Isaac C. Parker. The Western District of Arkansas includes 34 counties stretching from Texarkana and El Dorado to Fayetteville and Fort Smith. The district headquarters office is in Fort Smith, with divisional offices in El Dorado, Fayetteville, Hot Springs and Texarkana.

Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Holmes was recently nominated to be the next U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.