CONWAY -- A district judge and a corporate lawyer are vying for the Division 1 judge's seat in the 20th Judicial Circuit.
Either Susan Weaver, a district judge for Faulkner and Van Buren counties, or Andrea Woods, executive vice president and corporate counsel for Nabholz construction firm, will succeed Judge Chris Carnahan in the position.
Carnahan cannot run for the position because he was appointed to fill the vacancy created after Mike Murphy was elected to the Arkansas Court of Appeals. Under Arkansas law, the winner of of the nonpartisan race Tuesday will serve two years, the remainder of Murphy's six-year term.
The 20th Judicial Circuit covers Faulkner, Van Buren and Searcy counties. The position pays $168,096 annually. The Division 1 seat primarily handles civil cases. Judicial circuits can change division assignments, especially after new judges are elected and others leave office.
Weaver, 39, who grew up in Clinton and lives there now, has been a district judge for Faulkner and Van Buren counties since 2013. She previously was a deputy prosecutor in the 20th Judicial Circuit. She also has worked as an administrative assistant and case coordinator in the circuit, and she has served as a law clerk, a city court judge and a special Arkansas Supreme Court justice.
"I'm the only one that has experience on the cases this division is going to oversee," in addition to civil ones, Weaver said.
Weaver said the division also hears a wide range of cases such as probate, child support, parental rights and domestic relations.
Woods, 47, of Conway grew up in Fayetteville. Her law experience includes having worked as an assistant prosecutor in Ohio, handling defense in civil and criminal cases and practicing corporate law for almost 13 years at Nabholz. She also has worked as an assistant city attorney.
"Not even two years out of law school, I was prosecuting murder cases," Woods said. "Nineteen of my 21 years have focused more civil" cases than on criminal ones.
Woods said that as a lawyer she also has handled some dependency, neglect, family law and probate cases and has more experience than Weaver at handling "complex civil cases."
Woods said she would recuse from any cases involving Nabholz and thought any candidate who received significant campaign contributions from lawyers should not handle their cases for three to five years. Most important, she said, is that the judge disclose in chambers any potential conflicts to attorneys on both sides of a case.
Weaver said she is confident in her "ability to be fair and unbiased" but said she already has advised two lawyers who have been active in her campaign that she would be recusing from their cases "to avoid any appearance of impropriety."
"I think for a period of time it would be absolutely necessary" also to recuse in circuit court unless both sides waived any concerns, Weaver said.
Overall, though, Weaver said, "I am confident in my ability to be fair and unbiased."
Woods said she believes she has "the right temperament for the position."
"I would serve in a way that reflects the good traits that you want in your judges. We want them to listen, you want them to be patient ... be respectful of everyone who comes in the courtroom," she added. "They need to serve with integrity on the bench."
Weaver said she considers having lived and practiced law for so long in the 20th Circuit to be assets.
"I live on the same road I grew up on," she said. "I'm rooted in the community. I love the community. I think that's important that you've got someone on the bench who's from here, stayed here and has chosen to remain here."
State Desk on 05/19/2018