LITTLE ROCK—Cody Hiland has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Mr. Hiland was nominated by President Donald Trump on June 29, 2017, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 28, 2017. He took the oath of office today at 1:30 p.m. from United States District Court Judge J. Leon Holmes, and began work immediately after the ceremony.

"It is both an honor and a privilege to be chosen to serve as the United States Attorney, and I am eager to begin leading the important work of this office," Mr. Hiland said. "I also look forward to working with the dedicated public servants in our office, our exceptional law enforcement partners on the federal, state, and local levels, and the community. At a time when we are seeing the national crime rate continue to rise, myself and everyone in this office is committed to ensuring safer communities for the citizens of the Eastern District."

As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Hiland is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Eastern District of Arkansas, which includes five divisions and 41 counties within Arkansas, with its primary office in Little Rock. He oversees a staff of 59 employees, including 28 attorneys and 31 non-attorney support personnel. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

Mr. Hiland, 45, a Conway native, has lived in Arkansas his entire life. He received his J.D. from the William H. Bowen School of Law in Little Rock and his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Arkansas. Prior to assuming his current role, Mr. Hiland was elected prosecuting attorney for the 20th Judicial District of Arkansas in 2010, and re-elected in 2014.

Before beginning a career in law enforcement Mr. Hiland was a partner at Hiland, Thomas & Cox, PLLC; a staff attorney and rural and community liaison for the Arkansas Public Service Commission; the program director for the Arkansas Transitional Employment Board; and a legislative liaison and aide to Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Mr. Hiland will continue to live in Conway with his wife, Jana, and their four children, Claire, Caity, John Reagan, and Ethan.

Mr. Hiland succeeds Patrick C. Harris, who had served as acting U.S. Attorney since Christopher Thyer’s resignation on March 13, 2017.