PINE BLUFF -- The county judge in Jefferson County has sent a letter to a prosecuting attorney that one of the Quorum Court members is ineligible to serve because he does not live in the district that elected him.
According to a letter written to Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Hunter by County Judge Gerald Robinson "allegations" had surfaced during the year that District 3 Justice of the Peace Delton Wright has failed to meet the legal residency requirements to serve on the Quorum court. According to Wright's 2018 political practices pledge, filed with the Jefferson County clerk's office, Wright's place of residence is 1801 S. Linden St., Apartment A.
Jefferson County property records show that the apartment building, which is now listed as 1100 W. Eighth Ave., belonged to Wright from Dec. 1, 2006, when he purchased the property for $53,000, until Sept. 28, 2018, when he sold the property to Rock It Properties LLC of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for $235,000.
Three days later, Rock It Properties LLC sold the property to Tompkins Street Inc. of Highland, Utah, for $277,000.
The portion of the apartment complex that runs parallel to South Linden Street where Wright has listed as his address is run-down and appears to be vacant. One door with the number 1805 affixed has a mailbox with the name "JP D Wright" attached in adhesive letters. Recently, the box was stuffed with mail, with some overflow mail lying on the walkway next to the door. A layer of dust around the doorway appeared to have been undisturbed for some time.
Wright's personal property assessment, filed in April with the Jefferson County assessor's office, lists his address as 19 W. Southern Pines Drive.
The 19 W. Southern Pines address in Pine Bluff is in District 4, which is represented by Justice of the Peace Patricia Royal Johnson.
Wright, during a telephone interview, denied the county judge's assertion and said it is politically motivated.
"He's just upset because he thinks I've voted wrong," Wright said. "I'm not going to comment on what he said other than to say he's just not right."
When asked where he is living, Wright said, "I'm living where I'm supposed to be."
Asked where that is, Wright gave the address of 1807 S. Linden St., which is one of the addresses of the apartment building that he sold in 2018, and one of three addresses in that building that he has claimed as a residence at one time or another.
When confronted with the public records that indicate he no longer owns the property, Wright said he was living "beside there," but then cut the interview short, saying he would call back. He did not, and when contacted again by phone later in the day, he again stopped the interview, saying he had pressing business and would call back, but he never did.
District 5 Justice of the Peace Jimmy Lee Fisher Sr. said rumors have circulated for some time that Wright does not live in his district and it is up to the county judge to address the issue.
"The judge is trying his level best to try to get everything cleaned up," Fisher said. "I guess this is one of the steps that he's moving forward with, and I have no problem with that."
District 12 Justice of the Peace Ted Harden said he has also heard rumors regarding Wright's residence.
"It is my understanding that his present residence is not within his district and that the apartment complex that he once owned and operated that was in his district is no longer under his ownership," Harden said. "The law says that you must reside in the district that you represent, and that's pretty cut and dried."
According to Arkansas Code Annotated 14-14-1306, all county, Quorum Court district and township officers shall live within their respective counties, districts or townships, and if a county, district or township officer moves from the county, district or township that he represents that office shall be deemed vacant.
According to Arkansas Code Annotated 14-14-1311, the jurisdiction for removal of an elected official from office shall be in circuit court.
Johnson, in whose district Wright does reportedly live, said she had been told for years that Wright was living outside of his district.
"It's been a few years," Johnson said. "When I was the clerk, several people brought it to my attention, and I told them that was not my job. When people file the papers they file the papers, and it wasn't up to me to determine where they live."
According to materials that Robinson supplied to Hunter, Wright has held numerous parties and other events at the 19 W. Southern Pines address, and he furnished an invitation to a meet-and-greet for people to welcome University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff basketball coach Dawn Brown and volleyball coach Chelsey Lucas at the "Home of Justice of the Peace Delton Wright, #19 Southern Pine West, Pine Bluff, AR."
Numerous local dignitaries and elected officials, including Lawrence Davis Jr., a former UAPB chancellor; state Sen. Stephanie Flowers, D-Pine Bluff; attorney Marion Humphrey, a former circuit judge; former County Judge Dutch King, Pine Bluff Council Member Ivan Whitfield; and Pine Bluff City Clerk Loretta Whitfield were listed as hosting the event, which was held Aug. 22.
Robinson said his intent is not to punish Wright politically and that Wright's voting record has been consistent.
"Everything we've had to be voted on, he's voted for, so I beg to differ on that," Robinson said. "There's nothing I've taken to the Quorum Court, with the exception of maybe one or two occasions, that he didn't support."
The county judge said his intention is to make sure that county government is accountable to the voters.
"We are expected to tell the truth," he said, "and we are expected to live in the district in which we ask the people to vote for us to represent."
Hunter confirmed that he has received the information from the county judge and is looking into the matter, but he has not yet made a determination.
"There's been an allegation and it's come to my office, and I'll act on it in due course," he said.
State Desk on 10/03/2019