OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

-9999

Floor Speech

Date: April 14, 2026
Location: Washington, DC

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote on the nomination of Judge John Shepherd to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas.

I am concerned by Judge Shepherd's overall lack of experience. He has served on the Arkansas State bench for just over a year. Prior to that, he practiced law for just 12 years. By his own admission, only half of his legal practice actually involved litigation.

In addition, Judge Shepherd has stated that less than 5 percent of his experience as a litigator took place in Federal court.

Litigants in Federal trial courts should have confidence that the judges overseeing their cases are experts in Federal practice and procedure. Judge Shepherd simply does not have adequate experience for litigants in the Western District of Arkansas to feel they have received a fair hearing before him.

For these reasons, I oppose Judge Shepherd's nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward