Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Dan Kemp was still having trouble with the buttons on his new robe Tuesday.
Kemp had taken his oath of office in Mountain View to become the new leader of the high court shortly after clocks struck midnight to start the new year.
But two days later, before presiding over a similar swearing-in ceremony for new Court of Appeals Chief Judge Rita Gruber, Kemp joked that he was still fumbling with the fancier buttons of his judicial attire.
"The circuit judge robe is a zip. I've been used to it for 30 years," Kemp said.
A total of 34 newcomers took their judicial oaths of office at the start of the new year, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts: 10 local district judges, eight state district judges, 12 circuit judges and two apiece on the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.
Kemp, who had served as a circuit judge in Stone County since 1986, said he is no stranger to midnight oaths, as it has been his tradition to swear in the county's officers right away to start a new year, in order to prevent any confusion over who is in charge.
Supreme Court Justice Josephine Hart, who is also from Mountain View, swore in the new chief justice at the new county courthouse, Kemp said. Kemp then administered the oaths once again to officials in Stone County.
Afterward, Kemp said, there was a brief reception featuring finger foods and deer chili.
The other newcomer to the state's highest court, Justice Shawn Womack of Mountain Home, also took his oath in his hometown, but said he waited until evening on New Year's to accommodate other officials who were at church Sunday morning.
About 75 people attended the 5:30 p.m. swearing-in ceremony at the Baxter County Court Complex, with his oath administered by Justice Rhonda Wood, Womack said.
Afterward, both justices took part in swearing in local county officials.
On Tuesday, Gruber was joined by her family to be sworn in as the Court of Appeals' chief judge during a small ceremony at the Old Supreme Court room in the state Capitol.
Gruber has served on the state's second-highest court since 2012 and was re-elected last year. She was appointed to a four-year term as chief judge by Kemp and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Howard Brill in November.
"I'm just looking forward to working with everyone," Gruber said. "This is an administrative position, so it just means a little more work."
The 12-member Court of Appeals has two newcomers to start off the year: Mark Klappenbach of Fordyce and Mike Murphy of Conway.
Klappenbach, a former public defender, said he waited until the afternoon Sunday to be sworn in at the Union County Courthouse in El Dorado, surrounded by his family.
Circuit Judge Robin Carroll administered his oath of office, Klappenbach said.
Murphy, a former circuit judge, also said he did not go for a midnight ceremony. Instead he waited to have his former boss and law partner, Circuit Judge Charles Clawson Jr., administer his oath during the day at the district court building in Conway.
"It was sort of special to have him swear me in," Murphy said.
A ceremonial swearing-in will be held for the justices of the Supreme Court next Tuesday, and for the Court of Appeals on Feb. 10.
However, judges have to get to work before then.
While the first case conference -- in which the justices meet to discuss their views and assign opinions -- is not scheduled until Jan. 12, the court's first conference to discuss motions is scheduled for today. Kemp said he has already spent much of his holidays reviewing filings.
Gruber said the new Court of Appeals judges were also given stacks of papers detailing current cases under review.
Metro on 01/04/2017