In Re Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission

Summary

The court held that the Arkansas Supreme Court as a whole, rather than the Chief Justice alone, possesses authority to appoint the Supreme Court's three judicial representatives to the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission. The statutory provision permitting unilateral action by the Chief Justice applies only to qualifying midterm vacancies and only after the appointing authority fails to act for sixty days; it did not authorize the challenged appointments. The Chief Justice's appointments were therefore void ab initio, and the court made replacement appointments effective immediately.