In Re Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission

Summary

The court held that the Arkansas Supreme Court as a whole, rather than the Chief Justice acting alone, possesses authority to appoint the Supreme Court's three judicial representatives to the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission. It further held that the statutory provision permitting unilateral appointments by the Chief Justice applies only to qualifying midterm vacancies and does not authorize the appointments made on January 1, 2025. The purported unilateral appointments were therefore void ab initio, and the court appointed the replacement judges identified in the opinion.