BENTONVILLE — Benton County Circuit Judge Thomas Smith said he will seek re-election.
Smith, 50, of Rogers began serving in 2013.
He presides over juvenile court, drug court, veterans court, family law and probate cases.
“It has been an honor serving the citizens of Benton County and being a part of so many great things in our judicial system,” he said. “It is my goal to help make Benton County the leader that other areas look toward becoming when trying to help kids in foster care, veterans and families in need, and young people that need help getting on track.”
Smith said he’s been fortunate to partner with several agencies and groups to help achieve his goals.
His goal with veterans is to return them to the person they were when they took the oath to serve the country.
He tries to help youth prepare to be productive citizens and to avoid the adult criminal system, he said. He attempts to aid drug court clients in getting back into the community, and he wants to make sure children are protected when dealing with families, he said.
Smith started the Veterans Court in 2013 while expanding the adult drug court and converted a part of the juvenile detention center into a shelter. He established a program for foster kids that assigns a volunteer, court-appointed advocate to each foster child in Benton County.
He serves on the Arkansas Judicial Council Board, Specialty Court Committee, Legislative Committee, Judicial Resources Assessment Committee and and Access to Justice Commission.
He is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association.
Elections in Arkansas for circuit judges are nonpartisan. The 2020 election will be March 3. Runoffs will be on the general election ballot in November.
Circuit judges serve six-year terms and are paid $168,096 a year.