The ballots will be full next week of judge races for Circuit and local District Judgeships.
There is also one state-wide race for a position on the Arkansas State Supreme Court up for grabs.
In at least one of these judicial races, the possibility of a run-off in November looms large.
A race by race breakdown, looks like this:
Arkansas State Supreme Court, Position No. 4
The two candidates in this state-wide race are:
• Judge Morgan "Chip" Welch of Little Rock, is currently the Division 16 judge on the Sixth Circuit Court in Arkansas (Pulaski County.
• Judge Barbara Womack Webb of Benton, is a former Prosecuting Attorney and Circuit Judge in the Saline County Circuit for the 22nd Circuit Court of Arkansas.
Washington-Madison County, Circuit Judge, Division 8
Those running for this new position, for a six-year term are:
• Mieka Hatcher, 48, of Fayetteville, has served as a deputy prosecutor in the 4th District since 1998 and is now chief deputy prosecutor.
• Brian Hogue, 38, of Fayetteville, began his law practice with Wright, Lindsey & Jennings in Little Rock. Hogue joined his brother, David Hogue, in 2011.
• Conrad Odom, 54, has practiced law for 27 years with the Odom Law Firm and is a certified mediator. He served on the Fayetteville City Council and School Board.
• Tim Snively, 54, has practiced law for 22 years, representing clients in civil, criminal and family law matters. A UA graduate, Snively, is the husband of Circuit Judge Cristi Beaumont.
• Diane Warren, 55, is a former attorney ad litem, a lawyer appointed by a court to act as an advocate for the best interests of a minor. She is chairwoman-elect of the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Section of the Arkansas Bar Association.
Washington-Madison County Circuit Judge -- Division 3, Juvenile Division
This is a contested race of an incumbent Circuit Court Judgeship with Judge Stacey Zimmerman being opposed for another six year term.
The candidates are:
• Judge Stacey Zimmerman, 56, of Fayetteville, the juvenile court judge since 1998. Judge Zimmerman hears about 150 cases each week involving children in foster care, abused and neglected children, adoptions, truancy and delinquency. She oversees 18 juvenile court officers. She also serves as administrative judge for the 4th District.
• Robert Depper, 41, has owned Depper Legal Services since 2014. He was assistant director of the state Administrative Office of the Court's Parent Counsel Program, a lawyer for the state Human Services Department Office of Policy and Legal Services and has been an attorney ad litem handling domestic relations and probate issues.
Washington County District Court Judgeship, District 2, Division 4
A portion of the District 2, Division 4 judgeship, will appear on some ballots in Benton County and all ballots in Washington County.
After the announced retirement of Judge William Storey, as the District Judge for District 2, Division 4, the three candidates seeking this seat are:
• David Dero Phillips, 58, has been a deputy city attorney in Springdale since 2013. He has been practicing in district courts for more than 11 years.
• Mark Scalise, 59, has been a lawyer for 27 years in Washington County and Philadelphia. He is a former deputy prosecutor in Washington and Madison counties.
• Terra Stephenson, 44, is senior deputy prosecutor in the 4th District, where she assists supervising a staff of almost 40. Stephenson has handled thousands of felony cases.
Benton County State Circuit Court, Judiciary 19-West, Division 7
Two veteran Benton County attorneys are seeking this seat. They are:
• Tony Noblin, of Rogers, is an attorney at Noblin Law Firm in Rogers. Before becoming a lawyer, Noblin worked as a DEA task force officer, a drug task force officer for the 19th Judicial District.
• Christine Howart of Bentonville, has been an attorney for 25 years. Her civil law practice focuses on domestic relations law and trial practice but she has handled a variety of cases in her career.
Benton County District Court 2, Division 3
The two candidates are:
• A.J. Anglin is a Siloam Springs native. He started his law career working from 1996 to 2003, as a police officer and detective with Siloam Springs Police Department. From 2003 to 2018, Anglin was a deputy prosecuting attorney at Benton County Prosecutor's Office.
• David Bailey of Siloam Springs is currently the Siloam Springs Prosecuting Attorney. He announced for the district court seat last July. Bailey, an attorney for 23 years in Benton County, works in the area of family and civil law in Siloam Springs.
--MAYLON RICE IS A FORMER JOURNALIST WHO WORKED FOR SEVERAL NORTHWEST ARKANSAS PUBLICATIONS. HE CAN BE REACHED VIA EMAIL AT [email protected]. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.
Editorial on 02/26/2020