LITTLE ROCK — Supreme Court Justice Courtney Hudson Goodson received a $50,000 summer trip to Italy - a gift from high-profile Fayetteville lawyer W.H. Taylor, according to financial disclosure records filed with the secretary of state.

The justice did not respond to requests for an interview on Friday, Monday and Tuesday, and declinedto release specific details about her August European vacation.

Goodson was one of six justices and constitutional officers who reported trips or gifts from nongovernmental groups or private individuals in statements of financial interest that were due Jan. 31.

Through a spokesman, Goodson said that Taylor is her husband’s friend and business partner. John Goodson and Taylor have worked together on several lawsuits against major corporations.

Taylor has handled cases for Tyson Foods, defended former Arkansas Razorbacks football players and overseen divorces with millions of dollars at stake.

Courtney Hudson Goodson reported another trip paid for by Taylor in her 2011 statement of financial interest - a $12,000 Caribbean cruise.

The judge said, through a spokesman, that she will recuse herself from any cases brought by Taylor and his firm if they make it to the Supreme Court.

Taylor was out of the office Monday and did not return a phone message Tuesday.

Goodson was elected to the court in 2010 and previously served on the Arkansas Court of Appeals.

In her 2010 statement of financial interest, Goodson reported receiving $99,539 worth of gifts from her thenboyfriend, John Goodson, a Texarkana attorney who also serves on the University of Arkansas board of trustees.

The two are now married.

The gifts included nine trips to undisclosed locations, a watch valued at $22,500, earrings and a necklace worth $9,500 and $4,000, and a $6,700 coat, in addition to electronics.

The Arkansas Code of Judicial Conduct allows judges to receive “gifts, awards or benefits associated with the business, profession or other separate activity of a spouse ... that incidentally benefit the judge.”

A judge can also accept gifts from people “whose appearance or interest in a proceeding pending or impending before the judge would in any event require disqualification of the judge.”

But judges can’t accept a gift if it “would appear to a reasonable person to undermine the judge’s independence, integrity, or impartiality.”

Cynthia Gray, the director of the American Judicature Society Center for Judicial Ethics, said most states, including Arkansas, have codes of judicial conduct based on the American Bar Association’s model, which focuses on who is giving the gift rather than the amount of the gift.

Gray said she’s unaware of any states that prohibit gifts entirely.

“It’s part of the human experience and [judges] are allowed to participate,” Gray said.

Chief Justice Jim Hannah and Associate Justice Donald Corbin reported no gifts but did note several trips paid for by nongovernmental sources.

Corbin reported a trip to judge the final round of the August A. Rendigs Jr.

Products Liability Moot Court Competition in March, which was paid for by the University of Cincinnati College of Law. The trip cost $1,018.20.

The Pound Civil Justice Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, paid for Corbin to attend the 2012 Forum for State Appellate Court Judges in Washington, D.C., July 27-29. The trip cost $874.88.

Corbin reported a trip to the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence symposium in Chicago on July 12-15. The trip was valued at $966.15 and paid for by the foundation.

Hannah also reported a trip to the foundation’s symposium, valued at $1,231.

CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS

Gov. Mike Beebe, Secretary of State Mark Martin and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel each reported receiving gifts or other compensation from a variety of sources.

Beebe reported round-trip air travel to the University of Arkansas and Arkansas State University football bowl games in January. The University of Arkansas paid $832 for the governor to travel to Arlington, Texas, for the AT&T Cotton Bowl against Kansas State University on Jan. 6.

Arkansas State University paid $611.11 for the governor’s trip to Mobile, Ala., for the GoDaddy.com Bowl against Northern Illinois University two days later.

Beebe also reported a $9,115 trip to China for his wife, Ginger Beebe, April 4-16 which was paid for by the Arkansas Economic Development Foundation.

The foundation also paid for a June 23-29 trip to France for the governor’s wife, valued at $5,741.38.

In addition to those gifts, Beebe reported the foundation paid for his own flight, transportation, guides and interpreters on the trip, totaling $10,694.

The governor also reported a trip to France June 23-29 for “agricultural outreach,” valued at $5,357.80 and paid for by the Embassy of France.

McDaniel reported three business trips paid for by national attorneys general organizations totaling $4,546.43.

The Democratic Attorneys General Association paid $1,484.20 for travel, food and lodging for the attorney general to attend the group’s winter meeting Jan. 27-28.

McDaniel also reported the National Association of Attorneys General paid for his trips to the group’s spring and summer meetings.

The trips were valued at $1,057.21 and $2,005.02, respectively.

Martin reported one nongovernmental source of payment for lodging at the Election Integrity Summit in Washington, D.C., which was paid for by Washington, D.C., attorney Cleta Mitchell. The four-day stay totaled $450.

Former House Speaker Robert S. Moore Jr., who was appointed to the Highway Commission last month, and Senate President Pro Tempore Michael Lamoureux reported a combined seven trips totaling $7,926.78.

Lamoureux reported trips to conferences Sept. 27-29 and Aug. 8-10. The Tampa, Fla.-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation paid $2,000 for the September trip and the Heartland Institute, a free market research organization, provided the same amount for the August conference.

Lamoureux also reported a Dec. 10 educational tour and briefing paid for by Express Scripts Inc., a pharmacy benefit management company, valued at $618.06.

Moore reported three trips paid for by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation.

The group provided funding for trips to its May 12 leadership meeting, lodging and meals at its Aug. 19 National Speakers Conference and travel expenses for its 2012 Health Care Forum on Sept. 13 - valued at $644.20, $1,565.42 and $599.10.

Moore also reported a trip to the State Government Affairs Council Leaders Policy Conference on Nov. 17. The trip was valued at $500.

The law does not require recipients to list the destinations of the trips; some of these details were omitted on Lamoureux’s and Moore’s statements.

Arkansas, Pages 9 on 02/06/2013