LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Supreme Court has admonished Lincoln County's clerk over how her office handled court papers submitted by inmates unable to pay their filing fees.
Cindy Glover had previously pleaded not guilty to a contempt charge. Justices on Thursday said she agreed to accept an admonishment instead.
A special master appointed by the court discovered that the Lincoln County Circuit Court once had a long-standing practice of labeling court filings as "received" when they arrived from inmates without a filing fee, rather than labeling them as "filed." The difference in the language caused delays in some court proceedings.
The state Supreme Court said Glover had instituted new policies that include stamping documents as "filed" and looping in the county attorney on correspondence involving Arkansas' highest court.