Category: Arkansas Appellate Court News

Cabot Circuit Court Judge Philip Whiteaker Announces Candidacy for Arkansas Court of Appeals

~ Tasha C. Taylor
Cabot Circuit Court Judge Philip Whiteaker
Cabot Circuit Court Judge Philip Whiteaker

Cabot Circuit Court Judge Philip Whiteaker announced last month that he will be a candidate for District 1, Position 2 of the Arkansas Court of Appeals.  That seat is currently held by Judge Raymond Abramson, who was appointed to that position last year by Governor Mike Bebee.

Because Judge Abramson is serving by appointment, he is unable to run for the seat in the upcoming election.   Earlier this year, Abramson announced his candidacy for the Arkansas Supreme Court seat that is currently held by Justice Jim Gunter.  Justice Gunter announced in May of this year that he will not seek re-election for that position when his term ends in 2012.

Fayetteville Attorney Kenneth S. Hixson Joins Race for Arkansas Court of Appeals Seat for District 3, Position 2

~ Tasha C. Taylor
Arkansas Attorney Kenneth S. Hixson Announces Candidacy for Arkansas Court of Appeals
Fayetteville Attorney Kenneth S. Hixson

Fayetteville attorney, Kenneth S. Hixson, has joined the race for the 2012 election to the Arkansas Court of Appeals for District 3, Position 2.  Hixson is a partner in the Hixson & Daniels law firm in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Currently, the Honorable W. Douglas Martin holds the seat for District 3, Position 2.  Judge Martin was appointed by Governor Mike Beebe to complete the term that was left vacant when Justice Courtney Henry was elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court.  Arkansas law prohibits Judge Martin from seeking reelection for that position because he was appointed, and not elected, to that seat.

Currently Mr. Hixson is one of two attorneys to announce their candidacies for District 3, Position 2 are Mr. Hixson and Niki Cung. See Niki Cung Announces Candidacy for Arkansas Court of Appeals.

The 2012 elections for open positions on the Arkansas Court of Appeals and the Arkansas Supreme Court will take place on May 22, 2012.

Arkansas Supreme Court Kicks Off 2011-12 Term; Celebrates 175th Birthday

~ Tasha C. Taylor
Arkansas Supreme Court
(Arkansas Supreme Court Photo)

The Arkansas Supreme Court kicked off its 2011-12 term with its first oral argument in the old Supreme Court Chamber at the Arkansas State Capitol and a birthday celebration at the Arkansas Supreme Court.  This week marks the 175th birthday of the Arkansas Supreme Court.

The Court handed down its first decisions for its new term on Thursday, September 8, 2011.  Five cases were submitted to the Court for decision on Thursday, September 8, 2011.  Of those five cases, one is a criminal appeal and four are civil matters.

The criminal appeal to be decided by the Arkansas Supreme Court this week, Lemuel Session Whiteside v. State of Arkansas, was the case that was argued orally on Thursday, September 8, 2011, in the Old Supreme Court Chamber at the State Capitol Building.  Attorney Tom Sullivan represented the appellant, an Arkansas teenager who is serving a life sentence for capital murder.  Sullivan argued that the sentence was unconstitutional because the appellant was a minor at the time of the crime and he did not fire the fatal shot.  The Arkansas Supreme Court is expected to hand down a decision in Whiteside, as well as in the civil cases submitted to the Court this week, within the next month.

Circuit Judge Jake Looney Announces for Arkansas Court of Appeals Position

~ Tasha C. Taylor ~ 3 Comments
Arkansas Circuit Court Judge Jake Looney Announces Candidacy for Arkansas Court of Appeals Position
Circuit Court Judge Jake Looney

Circuit Court Judge Jake Looney recently announced his candidacy for the Arkansas Court of Appeals.  Judge Looney is running for the District 4 seat on the Arkansas Court of Appeals.  Currently Judge John Robbins holds that position, but plans to retire in 2012.  Judge Looney is from Mena and is a former Dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law.

President Obama Nominates Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Hannah to Serve on National Board

~ Tasha C. Taylor

The Arkansas Supreme Court announced in a press release this week that President Obama has nominated Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Hannah to serve on the Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute.

The White House Press Release includes the following biography of Justice Hannah:

Chief Justice Jim Hannah is currently serving as Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court.  He was first elected as an Associate Justice in 2000 and re-elected as Chief Justice in 2004 and 2008.  He was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute in 2010.  Prior to serving on the Arkansas Supreme Court, he served as a Chancery/Probate Judge in the 17th Judicial District from 1979 to 1999.  Chief Justice Hannah maintained a private law practice for ten and a half years before he was elected to the trial bench. While in private practice, he also served as the city attorney for Searcy, Arkansas, as city attorney for several communities in White County, as a city  judge  for Kensett, Arkansas and Rosebud, Arkansas, as deputy prosecuting attorney for Woodruff County, and as the White County Juvenile Judge.   Chief Justice Hannah has served as President on the Board of the Arkansas Judicial Council.  He has served as Chairman of the Arkansas Judicial Resources Assessment Committee, Legislative Committee, and Retirement Committee.  He has also served on the board of the Conference of Chief Justices and is currently serving as Co-Chair of the Committee of Families and Courts.   In addition, he sits on the U.S. Supreme Court Judicial Conference Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction and the Arkansas Supreme Court Committees on Technology, Child Support, and Foster Care.  Chief Justice Hannah received a B.S.B.A. from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and a J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law.

Justice Brown to Retire at the End of 2012

~ Tasha C. Taylor ~ 1 Comment
Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Robert L. Brown
Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Robert L. Brown

Earlier today, Associate Justice Robert L. Brown announced that he will be retiring from the Arkansas Supreme Court at the end of 2012.  At the time of his retirement, Justice Brown will have served for twenty-two years as a justice on the Supreme Court.

Justice Brown has authored over 1,220 majority opinions while on the Supreme Court, including a term-limits decision that was affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court (U.S. Term Limits v. Hill) and four Lake View decisions (Lake View School District v. Huckabee).

Discussing his retirement, Justice Brown said, “Having served on the court for twenty-two years, it will be time in my case to pass the torch to a new member who will bring fresh thought and vision to the job of supreme court justice.”  Justice Brown also said that he would be “exploring other options in public service.”

The Press Release from the Arkansas Supreme Court has more details about the retirement, and about Justice Brown’s long career in public service.

United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts Reappoints Arkansas’s Chief Justice Hannah to the Judicial Conference Committee

~ Andy Taylor
Chief Justice Jim Hannah
Chief Justice Jim Hannah

Chief Justice Jim Hannah has been reappointed for a three-year term to the Judicial Conference Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction.   Justice Hannah, who is one of only four state supreme court justices serving on the committee, was first appointed to the committee in 2008.  The full press release from the Arkansas Supreme Court is after the jump.

Continue reading “United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts Reappoints Arkansas’s Chief Justice Hannah to the Judicial Conference Committee” →

Niki Cung Announces Candidacy for Arkansas Court of Appeals

~ Andy Taylor ~ 1 Comment
Niki Cung - Candidate for Arkansas Court of Appeals
Niki Cung - Candidate for Arkansas Court of Appeals

The Arkansas News Bureau reports that Niki Cung, a partner at Kutak Rock LLP, will run for the Arkansas Court of Appeals seat currently held by Judge Doug Martin, another Kutak Rock member.  Judge Martin was appointed by Gov. Beebe to the seat previously held by Justice Courtney Henry upon her election to the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Court of Appeals Judge Abramson Announces Candidacy for Arkansas Supreme Court Position

~ Tasha C. Taylor ~ 2 Comments

Court of Appeals Judge Raymond Abramson announced his candidacy on Monday for the Arkansas Supreme Court position that is currently held by Associate Justice Jim Gunter.  Justice Gunter announced last week that he plans to retire at the end of his term next year.

Judge Abramson, who practiced law for 34 years in Monroe County, was appointed by Governor Beebe to the Court of Appeals last year following Judge Price Marshall’s confirmation as a federal district court judge.  Abramson is not eligible to run for that position to which he was appointed last year.

Currently, Judge Abramson is the only candidate who has announced his or her intent to run for the position currently held by Justice Gunter.

Arkansas Supreme Court Associate Justice Jim Gunter Will Not Seek Re-Election

~ Tasha C. Taylor ~ 2 Comments

The Administrative Office of the Courts announced today that Associate Justice Jim Gunter will not seek re-election when his term ends in 2012.

The Arkansas Times reported in February of this year that Judge Ray Abramson, who is currently serving in an appointed position on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, was planning to run for the Arkansas Supreme Court in 2012. See Arkansas Times: Judge Ray Abramson to Run for Arkansas Supreme Court.  While Judge Abramson has not made an official announcement, the Arkansas Times continues to report that he will run for Justice Gunter’s seat.