The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported this morning on a lawsuit filed by Auditor Andrea Lea seeking to convert unclaimed bonds into cash for the state of Arkansas at some point.
The U.S. Supreme Court appears headed from this account to a familiar liberal-conservative split on the question of whether states that elect judges, including Arkansas, may prohibit judicial candidates from directly soliciting campaign contributions.
Ernest Dumas takes us back 15 years to a critical moment in nursing home political influence efforts and the three Mikes who've brought Arkansas to a current scandal over undue influence.
More money is being spent to buy judicial races, often using tough-on-crime as a campaign theme. That's bad for criminal defendants, but the hidden agendas of such advertising is bad news, too. Arkansas is a good example.
Republican candidates Stacy Hurst and David Meeks, to name just two, have adopted the popular tactic of calling defense lawyers soft on crime for providing legal counsel to the accused, something guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
It's deplorable and un-American. But the tactic also puts a thumb on the scales of justice, particularly when deployed in judicial races,
Money talks loudly in judicial races around the country. What's the point of Kochs controlling legislatures if they can't control court review of those laws as well?
The Arkansas Supreme Court has approved an expedited schedule for appeals in four lawsuits over ballot eligibility in several judicial contests in the May 20 primary/judicial elections.
Valerie Bailey, ordered off the May ballot in her attempt to run against Circuit Judge Tim Fox, says she won't attempt to appeal the order to get on the ballot. But she does promise an appeal of a legal point.
Judge John Cole has disqualified Valerie Bailey as a candidate for the 6th Circuit judgeship to which Judge Tim Fox is seeking re-election. The judge agreed with a lawsuit saying she hadn't been licensed a sufficient period of time to qualify for the judgeship.
Ernie Dumas writes this week about the accurate predictions of people such as former Supreme Court Justice Robert Brown and Judge David Stewart on the perils of electing judges. Special interest money and conflict of interest come with elections, as recent events show.
The Log Cabin Democrat, which has also been breaking news about local Judge Mike Maggio's misdeeds and financial funny business, has a story today that notes the heavy influence of nursing home money, particularly from Michael Morton of Fort Smith, on judicial races, particularly in Faulkner County. The article gives reason to doubt the credibility of Judge Rhonda Wood, who drew no opposition to her candidacy for a seat next year on the Arkansas Supreme Court.