http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-25T09:18:21-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/federal_judge_blocks_arkansas_abortion_ban/ A U.S. judge temporarily blocked an Arkansas ban on abortions at the 12th week of pregnancy, amid continued constitutional debate of the measure. The Arkansas law sets one of the strictest abortion limits in the country. Judge Susan Webber Wright of the Federal District Court in Little Rock issued a… Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, States, Arkansas Mon, 20 May 2013 15:40:32 -0500 44280.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyer_held_in_contempt_fined_100_for_missing_court_hearing_on_day_ag_admit/ An Arkansas lawyer who missed a scheduled court hearing on the day the state's attorney general publicly admitted that the two had had an "inappropriate" extramarital relationship has been held in contempt and fined $100. Attorney Andrea Davis of Hot Springs was upset about the December announcement by Arkansas Attorney… Judiciary, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Arkansas Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:11:00 -0500 43251.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ark_ag/ An admission earlier this week by Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel that he had an "inappropriate" relationship with a woman he met during his 2010 re-election campaign was followed Thursday by a spokesman's announcement that the woman, attorney Andrea Davis of Hot Springs, was opposing counsel in five cases handled… Government Law, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, States, Arkansas Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:34:25 -0600 42139.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ny_times_says_it_pursued_internal_probe_dropped_by_wal-mart_describes_claim/ When a lawyer for the Mexican subsidiary of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. allegedly told executives at the retail giant's Arkansas headquarters that managers across the border routinely resorted to bribery to avoid zoning, environmental and permitting regulations when building new stores, an internal investigation ensued. But it was also shut down… Corporate Law, International Law, International, North America, Mexico, States, Arkansas Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:18:44 -0600 42104.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/arkansas_supreme_court_oks_medical_marijuana_ballot_measure/ The Arkansas Supreme Court approved a proposed medical marijuana ballot measure on Thursday for the state’s Nov. 6 election. If the measure passes Arkansas will be the first southern state to allow medical marijuana use, the Associated Press reports. Under the Election Law, Health Law, Legislation & Lobbying, States, Arkansas Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:04:31 -0500 40905.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ark._ag_cant_sue_law_firm_under_deceptive_trade_practices_statute_states_to/ Reversing a lower court ruling that imposed penalties on an out-of-state law firm for collecting fees on dishonored checks in excess of what is allowed under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the state's top court has ruled that its attorney general has no jurisdiction to pursue such a case… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Government Law, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Arkansas, Utah Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:31:43 -0500 38000.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/convicted_murder_defendant_gets_new_trial_due_to_jurors_trial_tweets/ Agreeing with a convicted murderer on death row that he didn't get a fair trial because of one juror's tweets on Twitter, the Arkansas Supreme Court has reversed a jury's guilty verdict against Erickson Dimas-Martinez. Although a lower court had agreed with a state argument that Dimas-Martinez "suffered no prejudice"… Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Internet Law, Trials & Litigation, Juries, States, Arkansas Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:18:03 -0600 36405.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/new_trial_sought_for_death-row_inmate_over_jurors_tweeting_and_napping/ A lawyer for a death row inmate argued before the Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday that the conviction should be overturned because one juror was tweeting during the trial and another was apparently napping. Lawyer Janice Vaughn of the Arkansas Public Defender Commission argued on behalf of Erickson Dimas-Martinez, convicted… Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Criminal Procedure, Internet Law, Judiciary, Trials & Litigation, Juries, States, Arkansas Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:30:15 -0600 36098.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ark._lawyer_is_reprimanded_re_business_venture_that_labeled_ordinary_tomato/ In an order and findings (PDF) filed last week, attorney S. Graham Catlett was reprimanded and fined $1,500 by the professional conduct committee of the Arkansas Supreme Court. The issue was the Little Rock lawyer's partnership in an organic tomato-growing venture. In 2005, the crop failed… Legal Ethics, States, Arkansas Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:48:24 -0500 35703.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/supreme_court_to_decide_scope_of_double_jeopardy_when_jury_deadlocks_on_les/ The U.S. Supreme has agreed to decide whether a defendant may be retried for first-degree and capital murder after a jury deadlocks on the lesser included offense of manslaughter. At issue is the scope of the ban on double jeopardy, SCOTUSblog reports. The Arkansas defendant, Alex Blueford, was… Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, U.S. Supreme Court, States, Arkansas Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:52:50 -0500 35366.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_says_courthouse_shooters_jammed_assault_rifle_spared_3_woman/ But for a jammed assault rifle, a man who fired 70 rounds at an Arkansas courthouse last week almost certainly would have done much greater damage, the judge who apparently was targeted in the attack tells a local newspaper. The assault rifle, which had a laser sight, jammed not once,… Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Family Law, Judiciary, Court Security, Trials & Litigation, States, Arkansas Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:55:38 -0500 35076.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/pet_parrot_takes_a_bite_out_of_crime_sends_would-be_robbers_out_the_door/ Corrected: An Arkansas man who made the mistake of opening the door to his home when someone knocked in the wee hours yesterday was rescued by his pet parrot. As the two unknown men beat Jack Dukes and demanded hydrocodone pills, one raised his voice and grabbed for the bird,… Criminal Justice, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, States, Arkansas Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:06:05 -0500 35063.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/Court_Spree_Shooter/ A man who fired 70 rounds at an Arkansas courthouse from semi-automatic weapons on Tuesday before being shot to death in a gunfight with authorities didn't seem likely to snap, the police chief of his hometown said afterward. But James Palmer's former wife, and perhaps some of his family members,… Criminal Justice, Family Law, Judiciary, Terrorism, Trials & Litigation, States, Arkansas Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:47:13 -0500 34998.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/gunman_who_fired_assault_rifle_in_ark._courthouse/ A man who fired at least 70 rounds from an assault rifle and three semi-automatic handguns yesterday at an Arkansas courthouse may have targeted the Crawford County judge who presided over his divorce and child custody case, reports the Times Record. After James Ray Palmer, 48, asked… Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Family Law, Government Law, Judiciary, Court Security, Trials & Litigation, States, Arkansas Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:47:58 -0500 34950.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/armed_with_assault_rifle_man_shot_judges_secretary_at_ark._courthouse_is_no/ Updated: A man reportedly wearing camouflage and armed with two handguns and an assault rifle fired multiple rounds in and around the Crawford County, Ark., courthouse this afternoon, shooting a judge's secretary in the leg as she tried to flee. The 48-year-old suspect, identified as James Ray Palmer, died about… Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Judiciary, Court Security, States, Arkansas Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:53:30 -0500 34936.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/3_men_win_release_from_prison_today_by_taking_alford_plea_in_1993_murder_of/ Three men convicted in a controversial Arkansas child-murder case were released from prison today after taking Alford pleas during a court hearing in Jonesboro. Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley Jr. were sentenced to 18 years in prison, with credit for time served, in the 1993 slayings of Steven… Appellate Practice, Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Law in Popular Culture, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Arkansas Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:08:35 -0500 34570.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyer_admits_47m_ponzi_scheme_based_on_fake/ An Arkansas lawyer and businessman admitted in federal court yesterday that he orchestrated a $47 million Ponzi scheme involving seven banks by creating fake rural improvement bonds. Such bonds are often used by developers, and Kevin Lewis, 43, obtained bank loans based on the seeming assets referenced by the fake… Banking Law, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, White Collar Crime, Government Law, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Real Estate & Property Law, 8th Circuit Court, States, Arkansas Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:42:56 -0500 34281.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/legal_road_trip_little_rock_ark/ Legal History, States, Arkansas, Opening Statements Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:20:55 -0500 33528.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/warner_smith_harris_to_close_doors_after_124_years/ A steady stream of attorney departures in recent years has led to the planned closing July 31 of a prestigious 124-year-old Arkansas law firm. Warner Smith & Harris made a business decision to cease operation in an orderly manner and will be able to pay… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, States, Arkansas Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:24:52 -0500 33512.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_commemorates_bin_ladens_death_with_a_51_break_in_misdemeanor_fines/ An Arkansas judge commemorated the death of Osama Bin Laden with a break for misdemeanor violators. Judge Brad Karren of Rogers gave defendants a $51 break in fines and fees to mark the date, May 1—or 5-1, the Associated Press reports. About 100 people got the reductions.… Judiciary, Terrorism, States, Arkansas Wed, 04 May 2011 10:07:23 -0500 32649.abajournal.com