The Arkansas Supreme Court ordered Thursday the temporary suspension with pay of a circuit judge who was arrested last week after police say he drove drunk through a sobriety checkpoint and had to be chased down.
The court's order granted a petition by the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission to immediately suspend William M. Pearson of Clarksville, a Johnson County judge in the 5th Judicial Circuit.
The 5th Judicial Circuit is composed of Franklin, Johnson and Pope counties.
The commission filed the petition Wednesday for an expedited consideration by the Supreme Court after Pearson, 57, was arrested Jan. 20 by the Arkansas State Police on charges of driving while intoxicated, fleeing, reckless driving and refusal to submit to a chemical test.
State police said Pearson was driving a pickup that failed to stop at a sobriety checkpoint about 9:30 p.m. on Arkansas 103 near Interstate 40 on Clarksville's west side. Pearson continued driving for another 1.5 miles before troopers pulled him over. He tried to pull back onto the highway but was blocked by a patrol car, according to state police.
Pearson, who was freed after posting a $1,400 bond, is scheduled to appear in court March 3.
Pearson's attorney, Jeff Rosenzweig of Little Rock, filed a response to the petition Thursday morning. In it, he said Pearson would not contest the commission's petition of the temporary suspension with pay until the charges against him were resolved.
"This position should not be regarded as an admission of the accuracy of the allegations," Rosenzweig wrote. "Rather, it is Judge Pearson's recognition that it is appropriate that he not exercise judicial powers until this situation is resolved. He hopes that these allegations can be resolved expeditiously in order that he may return to his position of service to the public."
Circuit Judge Ken D. Coker Jr., the administrative judge for the 5th Judicial Circuit, said Thursday afternoon that he had written a letter to the Administrative Office of the Courts asking that the Supreme Court appoint a substitute judge to take up Pearson's caseload.
Coker said he would handle Pearson's cases scheduled to appear in court today and another judge within the circuit would handle Pearson's court cases Monday. He would reassess the situation after that.
The four judges of the judicial circuit split up the cases -- criminal, civil, juvenile, domestic relations, probate and drug court -- filed in the three counties.
Pearson presided over all the criminal cases filed in the circuit. He also handled 40 percent of the civil cases filed in Franklin and Johnson counties and 20 percent of the civil cases filed in Pope County, according to the circuit's administrative plan.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Dan Kemp on Tuesday assigned retired Pulaski County Circuit Judge John Langston to preside over Pearson's criminal case once charges are filed. Coker made the request after the other judges within the circuit recused from hearing the case.
Langston was not appointed to handle any of Pearson's caseload.
Langston served 26 years on the bench, retiring in 2008.
No formal charges have been filed against Pearson. Fifth Judicial Circuit Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons said earlier this week he planned to recuse his office from prosecuting Pearson to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
He said once a special judge was appointed, he would petition that judge to appoint a special prosecutor who would file charges and prosecute Pearson.
State Desk on 01/27/2017