Latonya Austin Honorable, Fifth Division Circuit Judge J. Leon Johnson, First Division Circuit Judge and Herbert…

Summary

The court affirmed the circuit court’s ruling that Arkansas statutes authorizing specified probation and presentence officers for only three divisions of the Sixth Judicial Circuit violate amendment 14’s prohibition on local and special legislation. It also held that Pulaski County was not estopped from challenging the statutes merely because it had previously funded the positions in compliance with them. Because the statutes were unconstitutional, the county judge could not be compelled to fill the positions under those statutes.