FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County Circuit Judge Stacey Zimmerman is seeking re-election to the juvenile division bench for Washington and Madison counties.
“I’ve been working in juvenile court in some role, either as a volunteer attorney for kids, as a deputy prosecutor or as a judge, for the last 22 years,” Zimmerman said. “Helping improve the lives of children has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I wish to continue.”
Zimmerman, 50, was first elected juvenile judge in November 1998. The court handles delinquency, Families in Need of Services, dependency and neglect cases. The court has about 1,000 cases a year.
Profile
Stacey Zimmerman (Incumbent)
Washington County Circuit Court Juvenile Division
Age: 50
Residency: Fayetteville
Family: Married; one son.
Employment: Judge
Education: University of Arkansas School of Law, master of agricultural law, 1988; Texas Tech University, juris doctorate and master of science in agricultural economics, 1986; bachelor of science, agricultural economics, 1983.
Military Experience: None
Political Experience: Washington County Circuit Court, Juvenile Division, 1998-present; Appointed Arkansas Criminal Detention Facility Review Committee, 1995 to 1998; Appointed Arkansas Coalition for Juvenile Justice, 1999 to 2005; Appointed deputy prosecutor, Washington County, 1993 to 1998; Special judge, Benton County Juvenile Court.
“I have experience and a passion for kids to get them on the right road,” Zimmerman said. “If that means a firm hand and consequences, so be it. My main thing is to keep them out of prison.”
Zimmerman said she’s implemented a number of diversion programs over the past 15 years aimed at helping troubled youths and their families. Those programs include a juvenile drug court, teen court, Hooked on Fishing, an aikido program and a family counseling program called Creating Lasting Family Connections.
“We try to do programs to keep them from seeing me. That’s the way I like it,” Zimmerman said. “Ninety percent of the kids I see are good kids; they’re just making bad choices.”
Zimmerman attended the University of Arkansas School of Law and received a master’s in agricultural law in 1988 after graduating from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1986. She is licensed to practice law in Arkansas and Texas.
She has been an attorney ad litem volunteer in juvenile court, had a private practice for nine years and was a deputy prosecutor in Washington County from 1993 to 1998.
Zimmerman has served as a special judge for Benton County Juvenile Court, was appointed by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee to serve on the Criminal Detention Facility Review Committee from 1995 to 1998 and served on the Arkansas Coalition for Juvenile Justice from 1999 to 2005.
The Arkansas Coalition for Juvenile Justice named Zimmerman the Juvenile Judge of the Year for 2009-2010 and Arkansas CASA named her Juvenile Judge of the Year in 2006.
Zimmerman is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association and Texas Bar Association.