Justices suspend Simes

A circuit judge from Helena-West Helena will be suspended from the bench until his term ends next year but won’t be barred from seeking re-election, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a 4-3 decision.

L.T. Simes, a judge in the 1st Judicial District, won’t be paid during the suspension for the rest of this term, which ends Dec. 31, 2010.

The court’s decision marked the first time it hadsuspended a sitting judge, according to an official with the state Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission.

The courtfound that Simes had violated judicial rules in acting as a lawyer while a judge and in his role handling the affairs of an estate, including accepting rental payments and ...