The nominations of David “Clay” Fowlkes and Kevin Holmes have been approved by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for U.S. District Judge and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, respectively. The nominations now go before the full Senate.
Fowlkes’ nomination received a 13-9 favorable committee vote, and Holmes received a 12-10 favorable vote.
“I’m pleased the Senate Judiciary Committee approved two Arkansans nominated to positions in the Western District of Arkansas: Clay Fowlkes to serve as a District Judge and Kevin Holmes as U.S. Attorney,” said U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark. “We look forward to supporting them on the Senate floor soon.”
There is no date set for a Senate confirmation vote.
Fowlkes, who was nominated in November, 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.
Fowlkes will succeed U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes III, who is in senior status with the court in Fort Smith.
Holmes was elected in November 2022 as the Crawford County prosecuting attorney. Prior to that he was a former deputy city prosecutor for Van Buren and is a founding member of Van Buren-based Hopkins & Holmes law firm. Holmes would succeed Fowlkes.
The Western District of Arkansas includes 34 counties stretching from Texarkana and El Dorado to Fayetteville and Fort Smith. It is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation for this district. This includes criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers.
Judges now in the Western District are Chief Judge Timothy Brooks (Fayetteville bench), Holmes (Fort Smith) Judge Susan Hickey (El Dorado), Magistrate Judge Christy Comstock (Fayetteville), Magistrate Judge Mark Ford (Fort Smith), and Magistrate Judge Spencer Singleton (El Dorado).
