Senate witness introduces John Thomas Shepherd as President Trump's nominee for Western District of Arkansas bench

At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, an unidentified senator introduced John Thomas Shepherd as President Trump's nominee to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas and urged colleagues to support his confirmation.

The unidentified senator described Shepherd as a native of El Dorado, Arkansas, and a graduate of Rice University and the University of Arkansas School of Law. The speaker noted Shepherd’s private-practice experience as an attorney and later partner at Shepherd and Shepherd alongside his brother, Matthew, and said Shepherd had served as a prosecuting attorney and later as a judge for Arkansas’s thirteenth judicial circuit.

The introducer highlighted Shepherd’s family judicial ties, saying his father, Bobby Shepherd, has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit since 2006. In outlining Shepherd’s qualifications, the speaker emphasized "integrity, professionalism, and thoughtful leadership," saying Shepherd is "widely regarded as a fair and evenhanded jurist" whose experience as both prosecutor and judge has prepared him for the federal bench.

"There’s no question that John Thomas Shepherd is exceptionally qualified and well suited to serve with distinction on the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas," the unidentified senator said, adding, "I strongly support his nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same." The speaker closed by thanking the chair.