Judge Smith was born on September 26, 1949 in Joplin, Missouri, and was admitted to the Arkansas Bar in September of 1975.  He received his education from the University of Missouri (B.S. B.A. in Marketing in 1971) and from the University of Arkansas, School of Law in Fayetteville (J.D. 1975). Judge Smith served as Circuit Judge, Fourth Judicial Circuit, Second Division (Washington and Madison Counties) from 1987 through 2012, as the elected Prosecuting Attorney from 1979 through 1986 and as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Washington County from 1975 through 1978.  He served 6 years in the Army National Guard.

Judge Smith is “Of Counsel” with the Elliott and Smith Law Firm and specializes in traffic offenses and criminal defense.

He is currently in his second year as president of the Washington County Historical Society, a member and past president of the Fayetteville Rotary Club, as well as the Washington County Bar Association.  Judge Smith is a Life Time Member of the Arkansas Judicial Council and past president. He is also a past president of the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorney’s Association and of the Fayetteville Country Club.  Judge Smith was a member of the organizational committee, and served as the first president for two years of the W. B. Putman American Inn of Court, of which he is still a member and membership chairman.  He served for 12 years on the Board of Directors of the Fayetteville Boys and Girls Club (formerly Fayetteville Youth Center).  He has served by appointment of the Governor on the Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse, and the Arkansas Adult Probation Commission.  Judge Smith served for four years on the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission by appointment of Chief Justice Jack Holt, and served six years on the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Model Jury Instructions – Civil by appointment of Chief Justice W. H. “Dub” Arnold.  He has served on special committees of the Arkansas Bar Association concerning jury service, criminal sentencing, revision of the Code of Judicial Conduct and on a joint taskforce with the Arkansas Judicial Council concerning time standards for state courts.

  Judge Smith was awarded the Outstanding Trial Judge Award in 1998 by the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, the Community Service Award in 2002 by the Arkansas Judicial Council, the MLK Individual Achievement Award by the Northwest Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Planning Committee in 2009 and in 2012 the Fred Vorsanger Service Above Self Award by The Rotary Club of Fayetteville.  Also in 2012, Judge Smith was honored by the Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel as the Judge of the Year and in 2013 he was awarded the inaugural Outstanding Jurist Award by the Arkansas Bar Association and the Arkansas Bar Foundation.