The Hon. Kent Smith is a judge for the 3rd Circuit Court District of Mississippi. He was appointed to the bench by Governor Tate Reeves in 2020, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. John A. Gregory.
The 3rd Circuit includes Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Lafayette, Marshall, Tippah, and Union Counties.
Prior to his appointment, Smith was an attorney at Smith Whaley, PLLC, where his practice included civil and criminal litigation.
He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi. Smith then completed a J.D. at the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1991.
He was admitted to practice in Mississippi (1991), Alabama (1992), Tennessee (1991), the United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
His memberships include the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and The Mississippi Bar. Smith also served on the Defense Research Institute and the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association.
Smith was raised in Oxford, Mississippi. He and his wife, Amanda, have two sons.