Musical Benches Mean Caseload Changes In Washington, Madison Counties

The judicial landscape of the state's 4th Judicial District, which includes Washington and Madison counties, changed substantially with the new year and caseloads have been shifted to take into account one new judge and other judges taking on new responsibilities.

"Obviously, it's going to be a big change but we've really, really been fortunate over the years with the judges we've had and I think that will continue with the judges we have now," said Woody Bassett, a longtime Fayetteville lawyer. "The judges we have been fortunate to have here stack up very well with other judges in Arkansas and other states as well."

The biggest change will be in the criminal division of circuit court where Judge William Storey has heard the majority of criminal cases over the past 25 years. Storey is retiring from the circuit court bench and moving to be the Fayetteville district judge, the seat Rudy Moore held for 22 years until his death in April 2013.

Storey was sworn in Friday afternoon by his daughter Circuit Judge Beth Storey Bryan.

David Stewart was appointed interim judge to replace Moore until a new judge could be elected. Storey will finish Moore's term and be eligible to run for a full term in the 2016 election.

Storey defeated Tim Snively for the post in the May judicial election.

Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay will hear the majority of criminal cases in the circuit, according to a plan approved by the Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Courts. The case load changes are effective Jan. 1, according to Judge Stacey Zimmerman, who serves as administrative judge for the judicial district.

Lindsay, who had been hearing about 25 percent of the criminal cases in addition to civil and domestic relations cases, plans to move to Storey's larger courtroom.

Lindsay will hear 75 percent of the criminal cases filed in Washington County and all the criminal cases in Madison County. He'll also hear 10 percent of the domestic relations cases filed and keep the older probate cases he was hearing.

Lindsay was first appointed to the bench in March 2000 to replace the retiring Chancellor Thomas F. Butt. His current term runs through December 2018.

Storey's Division 1 bench will go to Judge Doug Martin. Martin was appointed judge in Division 2 after Kim Smith retired. Martin couldn't run for the Division 2 bench because he was appointed, but could run for the Division 1 seat being vacated by Storey. Martin defeated Brian Lester in the May judicial election. His term expires in 2020. Martin hears primarily civil and domestic relations cases.

Martin will hear 25 percent of the civil cases along with 25 percent of the civil cases once assigned to Division 7 and all of the civil cases he was already assigned in Division 2. Martin will also hear 18 percent of domestic relations cases and 25 percent of probate cases filed.

The new judge is former prosecutor John Threet. Threet ran unopposed for the open Division 2 seat previously held by Martin and will be moving upstairs to Lindsay's former courtroom. Threet will hear primarily civil and domestic relations cases.

Threet was sworn in by Storey in the courtroom at the historic Washington County Courthouse Friday morning. The restored courtroom was packed with friends, family and members of the law enforcement and legal community. His term expires in 2020.

Threet said Friday he wanted to be robed in that courtroom because it's where he first practiced law and said Storey was the last judge on the circuit court bench who was there when he started as a clerk in the public defender's office.

Threet will hear 25 percent of the civil cases along with 25 percent of the civil cases once assigned to Division 7 and some remaining Division 6 cases. He'll also hear 18 percent of domestic relations cases, some domestic relations cases that were assigned to Division 6 and 25 percent of the probate cases filed.

Threet said he'll miss the criminal trials most.

"What I anticipate is it's going to be a lot different. These last 22 years being a prosecutor, it's a different kind of work that no one else does," Threet said. "I'm going from that to judging cases in which I have no preconceived notion or opinion -- no dog in the fight. Working for the state, we always clearly were on a side."

Matt Durrett, who was Threet's chief deputy, ran unopposed for prosecutor and will be moving down the hall to Threet's old office.

Judge Joanna Taylor is expected to hear the remainder of the criminal cases not heard by Lindsay. She also hears civil and domestic relations cases. Taylor's term runs through 2016.

Taylor will hear 25 percent of the Washington County criminal cases, some 25 percent of the civil cases that had been assigned to Division 6 as well as 18 percent of domestic relations cases, some domestic relations cases assigned to Division 6 and 25 percent of the probate cases filed.

Judges Cristi Beaumont, Division 4, and Beth Storey Bryan, Division 5, were unopposed in the May election. Their terms expire in 2020.

Beaumont will preside over Drug Court and Veterans Court and will be assigned 25 percent of civil cases, 25 percent of the civil cases from Division 7 and 18 percent of domestic relations cases filed.

Bryan will hear 25 percent of civil cases, 25 percent of the civil cases that were assigned to Division 7, 18 percent of domestic relations cases and 25 percent of probate cases filed.

Zimmerman was re-elected in May when she defeated Lisa Parks in the race for juvenile judge in Washington and Madison counties. Her term expires in 2020.

Zimmerman will hear all Juvenile Court and Juvenile Drug Court cases in Madison and Washington counties.