Parks, Threet Submit Ballot Petitions

FAYETTEVILLE — A Springdale lawyer who hopes to unseat an incumbent juvenile court judge in Washington and Madison counties and an unopposed judicial candidate have filed petitions to get on the ballot.

Lisa Parks, 48, is running for judge of the juvenile division of the 4th Judicial District.

Parks turned in the petitions at the Arkansas secretary of state’s office in Little Rock.

Parks is seeking the position filled by Stacey Zimmerman, who is running for re-election. Zimmerman said she plans to file later by paying a fee.

The court handles roughly 1,000 delinquency, Families in Need of Services and dependency and neglect cases each year.

Prosecutor John Threet submitted his petitions Monday to run for Circuit Judge, Division 2, the position formerly held by Judge Kim Smith before Smith retired. Threet has no announced opponent for the seat.

Filing petitions is an alternative ballot access procedure to paying filing fees. The deadline for filing by petition was noon Thursday. Candidates who choose to pay a fee have to file for office from Feb. 24 to March 3.

Judicial and prosecuting attorney candidates are allowed to obtain signatures of registered voters. The secretary of state then confirms if the proper number of signatures was submitted. Once the petitions are confirmed, the candidate isn’t required to pay a filing fee.

Judge Doug Martin and Brian Lester, a Fayetteville lawyer, both said they plan to pay filing fees rather than take the petition route. Martin and Lester are running for the Circuit Judge, Division 1, seat held by Judge William Storey. Storey, who is running for Fayetteville District Judge against Fayetteville lawyer Tim Snively, is stepping down at the end of the year.

Elections for Arkansas judges and prosecuting attorneys are nonpartisan.

The Judicial General Election is May 20.

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