State District Judge Graham Nations of Prairie Grove checks the computer each morning to see where he is supposed to be that day.
As of Jan. 1, Nations became a full-time district judge and closed his private practice in Prairie Grove. He will continue to preside over district court in Farmington, Prairie Grove and Lincoln but he now also holds court in Springdale, Johnson and at Washington County Detention Center.
"My schedule is so doggone confusing at this point," Nations said last week, after his first three days in the full-time position. "I'm sitting in six different places. I'm on the road a lot."
He added, "At this point, I look at my computer and it tells me where to go."
The state of Arkansas has been in the process of reorganizing the district court system for several years. In Washington County, the number of district judges was decreased from five to four as the state assumed control of the district court system.
The state also changed district courts in Washington County to countywide elections for the four division seats, with the full-time judgeships to take effect in 2017.
Nations, who has served as a part-time district judge since 2009, ran for re-election in March 2016, and was elected to serve as district judge for the 2nd Division bench, western Washington County.
Voters also elected Jeff Harper, Casey Jones and Bill Storey as full-time district judges.
Basically, Nations said, his only adjustment is being in six courtrooms, instead of just three.
"It's not anything different for me. It's the same job I've done for 12 years, just more of it."
Nations holds court in Prairie Grove on Tuesday mornings and hears misdemeanors, civil cases and small claims. On the first and third Tuesdays of the month, he has trials and/or sentencings in the afternoon.
He is in Lincoln on the second and fourth Tuesday afternoons of the month for misdemeanors and traffic offenses and in Farmington on the second and third Wednesdays of the month to hear misdemeanors and traffic offenses.
Other days he will be in Springdale, Johnson and at the county jail.
District judges also will fill in for each other as needed and at times, Nations may be in other courts in Washington County or other judges may preside for him. The other district courts are located in Greenland, West Fork, Elkins and Fayetteville.
Nations said he supported the move to change the district court system in Arkansas.
"I thought it was a good idea because of the conflicts of interest you encounter when you are a part-time judge and a part-time attorney... You could never give your whole heart to either job."
The full-time district judges are paid $144,000 per year and cannot, by law, maintain a private law practice while serving as judge.
Because he will be on the road so much, Nations said the best way to reach him probably would be to call the district court office in Prairie Grove at 479-846-3467.
General News on 01/11/2017