Dan Kemp, Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, came to Carroll County last Friday morning to meet with local officials. When he took his oath of office, Kemp pledged to visit every judicial district in the state.
Although his advance publicity described the visits as “listening sessions,” local officials who gathered in the eastern district courthouse in Berryville had few questions or complaints. They listened as Kemp complimented “all the judicial officers, the judges, clerks, and other staff for the good job you do.”
The Chief Justice emphasized the importance of public confidence in the court system. “The perception people have of the court system is the result of your treatment,” he said. A poll of those involved in a court case in the past year showed that 78 percent were satisfied with the way they were treated by judges, clerks, and bailiffs. “Keep up the good job,” Kemp said. “People feel like they get a fair shake when they come to court.”
Kemp served as a circuit judge for 30 years, and was a municipal court judge before that. This background gives him perspective on the courts, and he wants to address any problems that arise at the local level.
Kemp introduced Marty Sullivan, executive director of the Office of the Courts, and Pete Hollingsworth, Chief of Police and director of Security and Emergency Preparedness at the Arkansas Supreme Court
Sullivan said his job is to administer the court system and make it effective. He said Arkansas has adopted a new strategic plan for the courts, with technology standing at the top of the list, as increasing automation will streamline court functions and eliminate theft from the system. He estimated a cost of $20 million to install the best technology, but the state may be able to update existing software for a fraction of that. The Supreme Court will eventually mandate one system, and Sullivan hopes to meet that standard “before they make us change.”
Long-range plans also emphasize more transparency and increased court security.
Hollingsworth said the state has some funds available for grants to add security, although those grants are limited to $15,000 per county annually. He said each county has a local court security committee, but Carroll County has not assembled its committee since 2011, the last time the county received a grant.
Since Carroll County has not received a grant recently, the county would have a good chance of approval, Hollingsworth said. The available pool of $250,000 annually is larger than usual now because the fund has $120,000 left over from last year.
The court security committee would include the county judge, circuit judge, police chiefs, and others with knowledge of the courts.
Kemp concluded his remarks with a look toward the future. He would like to see more civic education about the court system, which is growing to include more specialty courts, such as drug courts. Drug courts have particular potential to help with prison overcrowding. “In my experience, they’re effective at keeping people out of prison,” Kemp said.
The U.S. Department of Justice is pressuring states to change the policy of funding courts through fines, fees, and court costs. Instead, that money should go into the General Fund, which would directly fund the courts. This helps to eliminate the perception that the courts have a conflict of interest in imposing those costs.
Circuit Judge Scott Jackson served as host. Sheriff Jim Ross attended, along with the police chiefs from Green Forest, Berryville, and Eureka Springs. Public Defender Bo Allen and State Sen. Bob Ballinger were also present.
Allen asked Kemp about the prospect for additional public defenders. Kemp said he recognized the need, because overworked public defenders cannot adequately defend their clients. The situation could eventually lead to lawsuits, if clients can claim they did not receive appropriate representation. Allen also asked about mental health courts, and Kemp said there are only a few in operation, but they provide another avenue to address problems.