A blog devoted to information and insight concerning appellate practice in Arkansas
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 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.
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.
The Honorable Karen Baker and the Honorable Courtney Hudson Henry will be sworn in as Associate Justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court today at 3:00 p.m. in the Arkansas Supreme Court courtroom in Little Rock. The ceremony will be streamed live online.
Judge Karen Baker formerly served as the Court of Appeals Judge for District 2, Position 2. She was elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court in a runoff election on November 2, 2010, where she received 60% of the votes to overtake her opponent, Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Tim Fox. See Arkansas Supreme Court Election Results: Judge Karen Baker Wins Election for Position 6.
Judge Courtney Henry, also a former Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge (for District 3), was elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court on May 18, 2010. She received 58% of the vote to defeat Circuit Court Judge John Fogleman. See May 18, 2010 Judicial Election Results.
Former Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Annabelle Imber Tuck was the first female Justice to be elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1997. Justice Imber Tuck now serves as Commissioner of Arkansas Access to Justice. The elections of the Honorable Courtney Henry and the Honorable Karen Baker mark only the second and third times in Arkansas history that females have been elected to serve as Associate Justices to the Arkansas Supreme Court. Other women who have served on the Court by way of appointments include: Elsijane Trimble Roy, Betty Dickey, Andree Layton Roaf, and Elana Cunningham Wills.
Click here to watch the video from the January 10, 2011 Arkansas Supreme Court Swearing-In Ceremony.
With 78% of the precincts reporting, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette has called the election for Position 6 on the Arkansas Supreme Court for Judge Karen Baker. Judge Baker led by a slim margin early in the night, but took a bigger lead as the night continued. The race in Pulaski County (Judge Fox’s home county) was close, with Judge Baker edging out Judge Fox 51% to 49%. In Judge Baker’s home county (Van Buren County), Judge Baker defeated Judge Fox by 73% to 27%. As of the time this post was published, Judge Fox had won or was leading in the following counties: Ashley, Perry, Polk, Prairie. and Sevier. Several other counties had not yet reported results.
Judge Karen Baker currently serves as the Court of Appeals Judge for District 2, Position 2. She was elected to that position in 2000 and re-elected in 2004 (Act 1812 of 2003 reapportioned the Court of Appeals districts and required a new election for this position in 2004). Judge Baker’s eight-year term on the Court of Appeals will end in 2012. It is expected that Governor Mike Beebe will appoint a replacement for the vacancy that will be created when Judge Baker takes office as an Associate Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court in January, 2011.
Judge Tim Fox was elected to serve as a Pulaski County Circuit Court judge in 2002 and then re-elected to another six-year term in 2008.
UPDATE: As of 6:00 p.m. on November 3, 2010, 98% of precincts are reporting the following results in the Supreme Court Election: Baker 388,530 (61%), Fox 252,639 (39%).
Follow us tonight on Twitter (@ArkansasAppeals) and Facebook for live coverage of the Arkansas Supreme Court Election Results for the race between Judge Tim Fox and Judge Karen Baker.
The Arkansas Supreme Court handed down a Formal Order today denying Tommy L. Fite’s Petition and amended petition for writ of prohibition without prejudice.
Fite is a Republican candidate for the Arkansas House of Representatives in District 83. Last week, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Collins Kilgore ruled that Fite was ineligible for the ballot because he plead guilty to a misdemeanor bribery charge in 1984. Judge Kilgore ordered election officials not to count votes for Fite. Fite filed a Petition for Writ of Prohibition and an Amended Petition for Writ of Prohibition with the Arkansas Supreme Court. In response, Michael Grulkey filed a Response to Fite’s Petition for a Writ of Prohibition and Motion for Rule 11 Sanctions Against Fite. Both the Petition and Motion for Rule 11 Sanctions were denied by today’s order.
The pleadings filed in the Arkansas Supreme Court can be viewed here:
The seat for which Fite is running represents Crawford and Franklin counties and is currently held by Republican Beverly Pyle. Democrat Leslee Milam Post is also a candidate for that position.
Elections will be held tomorrow, November 2, 2010.
ArkansasAppeals.com 