As a middle child in a family of four kids, including her twin sister, Barbara Womack Webb has always been the problem solver.
“I think that is something lawyers try to do is to solve problems,” Webb said. “I come from a family of engineers.
“I had an interest in the law and an interest in political science. I felt like a law degree would give me the opportunity to do some things that I might not otherwise have the opportunity to do.”
Webb was recently appointed circuit judge for the 22nd Judicial Circuit by Gov. Asa Hutchinson. She is the first woman appointed as a circuit judge in Saline County.
“I have known Barbara Womack Webb for many years and observed her commitment to public service, her experience as prosecuting attorney and her knowledge of Saline County,” the governor said in a statement. “I am confident that her extensive courtroom experience has well equipped her to serve as circuit judge for the 22nd Judicial Court.
“She will do an outstanding job in this new role.”
Webb had served as chief executive officer of the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission since 2015. She graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law (now the William H. Bowen School of Law) in Little Rock in December 1981 and passed the Arkansas Bar Exam in 1982. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1979.
“When you are young and in college, you think you can solve all the world’s problems,” Webb said with a laugh. “Initially, I thought I would do international law or business law.
“I never envisioned that I would end up doing criminal law.”
Webb replaced Circuit Judge Bobby McCallister, who resigned after being charged with failing to pay his taxes. According to a story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Webb will serve until Dec. 31, 2018, and earn a $160,000 annual salary. She earned $129,117.04 annually as CEO of the Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Webb has also served as a special associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, a Benton City Council alderman and a Shannon Hills City Court judge.
“I feel like every other opportunity has opened a new door for me,” Webb said. “I feel like it challenges me. I’ve proven my ability to step up to those challenges.
“Every job I have had has prepared me for the next one.”
Webb served as prosecuting attorney for the 22nd Judicial District for three two-year terms. At that time, she replaced former prosecutor Dan Harmon.
“I decided to run for prosecuting attorney to see if I could help clean up the judicial system,” Webb said. “It was very challenging at the time. I was going in behind him and had a huge backlog of cases.
“People had lost confidence in that district.”
It was during her time as prosecutor when she met Lois Burks, who was hired as Webb’s financial officer in 1997.
“There was a lot of pressure on her when she took office,” Burks said. “She was assuming a position that had been badly mishandled for a number of years.
“That was quite a challenge.”
Burks said she has a lot of confidence in Webb in her new position.
“She is very much a detailed person,” said Burks, who currently works as a grants administrator for Saline County. “I think she is used to pressure. I think she is used to cleaning up messes, if there is one.
“I have confidence she will handle the job well, just based on six years of experience working for her.”
Webb said her experience as CEO of the Workers’ Compensation Commission, where she managed about 90 employees, and her years as a judge have paved the way for her new role as circuit judge.
“I understand what makes a fair and impartial court system work,” Webb said. “I believe the court system should always be transparent and run as efficiently as possible.
“As CEO, my goal was to make sure no matter who came through the doors of the commission, I felt like it was our job to make sure each side was given the opportunity to present its case fairly.
“That case was the most important case in that person’s life,” she continued. “My commitment is just to go in there on a daily basis and work as hard as I can — to have full and fair hearings and make prompt decisions.”
Webb said the opportunity to serve as circuit judge is something she has aspired to do.
“As a prosecutor in Saline County for six years, it is an awesome opportunity to serve the county as a circuit judge,” she said.
As circuit judge, Webb will oversee case loads with which she is very familiar.
“My understanding is that 80 percent of the cases [that I will oversee] are domestic relations, which include divorce, custody, child support and property division,” Webb said. “In addition, I believe 20 percent of the case load is criminal law.”
She said one of her favorite parts about serving as a prosecuting attorney was the ability to give back to a community she has lived in for 31 years.
“And as a circuit judge, I’ll be giving back,” Webb said. “I’ll be contributing to and improving a judicial system in a community where I live.”
Dale Douthit, who serves as chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Commission, said he has known Webb for about 15 years.
“I think she will do great,” Douthit said. “I can’t say enough nice things about her. She and I have been through quite a few battles over the years. …
“But she is always on top of the issues, and she is always honest and upfront. She just has a lot of respect in the legal community.”
Douthit said that right before he became chairman, in 2014, his dad died. Douthit said that during the days leading up to his dad’s death, while they were in Houston hoping for a bone-marrow transplant, Webb was constantly checking on Douthit and his dad.
“As great as a lawyer as she is, she is even a better person,” Douthit said. “She helped me get through some rough times.
“She is just caring. I have never met anybody who doesn’t like her.”
Burks said she has a similar story about Webb that happened in 2001.
“She was in my office one late afternoon, when the secretary ran in and said my husband was on the way to the hospital with chest pain,” Burks said. “[Webb] followed me to the hospital and stayed with me until everything was OK.
“I think so highly of her as a person.”
Webb has been married to Arkansas Republican Party Chairman Doyle Webb for 31 years, and she has a twin sister, Becky Keogh, who works as the Arkansas Department of Environment Quality director.
“I have known [Webb] for a long time,” Burks said. “She will do an outstanding job.”
Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.