Recently, President Mike Boyd of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association appointed Brad Hendricks to serve on a committee formed to develop ATLA’s views regarding judicial reform and a presentation for the August 2011 meeting of a joint task force of the Arkansas Bar Association and the Judicial Council. The Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel and Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen have also been invited to participate.
Currently, all judges in Arkansas are elected by Arkansas voters through nonpartisan elections. While there are many who support nonpartisan elections, claiming that such elections hold judges accountable to Arkansans, others criticize campaign spending and the potential that an elected judge may sacrifice impartiality because they feel beholden to special interest groups following a successful campaign. Each invitee will be allotted 15 minutes to present their thoughts to the joint task force.
