FAYETTEVILLE -- Candidates for a new judgeship tried to distinguish themselves from a crowded field Sunday at a League of Women Voters judicial forum.
Five candidates are vying for a new circuit judge position, which will hear half the juvenile court cases and some domestic relations cases in Washington and Madison counties. The candidates are Mieka Hatcher, Brian Hogue, Conrad Odom, Tim Snively and Diane Warren. All are Fayetteville residents and attorneys.
A new judge for the 4th Judicial District, Division 8, was approved by the state Legislature in the last session.
Judicial candidates are somewhat limited in what they can say while running for office. For instance, candidates can't say how they would rule on a case that may come before them. All said they would be fair and impartial and put the needs of the children that come before them first and foremost.
Much of what the candidates said Sunday related to the court, generally, as well as their backgrounds and experience.
Hatcher, 48, has served as a deputy prosecutor in the 4th District since 1998 and is now chief deputy prosecutor. She began her career as a prosecutor in Benton County Juvenile Court in 1997 before moving to Washington County.
"I've always had an affinity for that court," Hatcher said. "I handled FINS (Family In Need of Services) cases, from children that weren't going to school to children that had behavior problems to delinquency cases. I think, actually, I'm the only attorney up here who's ever had to try a 12-year-old for the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. That will make you examine everything you think about family life and justice."
Hatcher moved from juvenile court to adult circuit court prosecuting felony criminal cases.
"I focused my expertise and ability on prosecuting the people who were harming children," Hatcher said. "So, I prosecuted several child sex cases, whether it be sexual assault or rape. I've prosecuted people for burning children, horrible cases of physical abuse."
Hatcher said she has specialized training in physical and sexual injuries to children and has watched hours of interviews of children talking about those things.
"I think all that makes me a good candidate for this position," Hatcher said.
Hogue, 38, began his law practice with Wright, Lindsey & Jennings in Little Rock handling civil litigation. Hogue joined his brother, David Hogue, in 2011 to form Hogue Law Firm in Fayetteville. His practice includes domestic relations and civil litigation. He's the city attorney for Goshen and a certified mediator for civil and domestic relations matters.
Hogue said his law practice has changed to include more family law over the years.
"It has evolved to a point where my practice is heavily, heavily involved in family law cases, cases involving children and families in private practice, and also as a mediator," Hogue said. "I'm very proud of the mediation practice that I have built. I have very well-respected attorneys in this community that bring cases to me, family law cases, day in and day out to help resolve those issues."
Hogue said he practices regularly in juvenile court.
"I take cases, as a private attorney, in dependency and neglect cases in front of Judge (Stacey) Zimmerman, representing parents there who are trying to get their kids back in their home." Hogue said. "My experience has prepared me extremely well, I'm very proud of what I've built in my practice, I think it transitions well to this job and I think I'm ready to go from day one to make good, quality decisions for families and children that would come before the court."
Odom, 54, has practiced law for 28 years with the Odom Law Firm and is a certified mediator. He served on the Fayetteville City Council and Fayetteville School Board.
"I've had the opportunity to represent children. I've had the opportunity to represent their parents. I've had the opportunity to represent grandparents. I've had the opportunity to represent foster families, all in juvenile court," Odom said. "In addition, I've had the opportunity to represent children in disability-type claims, both physical and mental and intellectual disabilities, and I think that is an invaluable experience in knowing and understanding the challenges that children have in today's society."
Odom said that in addition to legal knowledge, a judge brings his or her personal experiences with them to the bench. Odom said he has served with numerous civic organizations.
"On the Fayetteville Education Association, we listened to teachers about unique ways they could bring new tools to the classroom to help teach kids," Odom said. "We gave them grants to do that where the funds were not available to help teach children in the schools."
Odom said serving on the Boys & Girls Club Board showed him the unique challenges presented by the wide variety of socioeconomic statuses in Northwest Arkansas. The organization provides not just basketball and football but after-school programming and educational opportunities to help disadvantaged kids, he said.
"And, in the last 10 years, serving with the Scouting program, I have seen how a merit-based program really helps kids achieve and feel as though they have done something and become a good and productive member of a community and society and that's what I'd like to do as judge," Odom said.
Snively, 54, has practiced law for 23 years, representing clients in civil, criminal and family law matters. He said he has trial experience working in all the state and federal courts in the area.
"That made me have a very diverse law practice. I've handled any kind of case you can think of," Snively said. "What we're running for is circuit judge and, as it is right now, this position is going to do family law and juvenile cases. But, dockets change over the years. You have to be ready to do anything."
Snively said the new judge could conceivably end up hearing a medical malpractice lawsuit on exchange from another judge.
"What I'm getting at is I'm prepared for anything that comes my way, I've handled all those different types of cases," Snively said. "But, a lot of my practice is family law because it's a large component of most people's problems. I like to say my client base is the working poor. When it comes to juvenile cases, I've been down there on all sorts of cases over the last 20 years, I was down there a few weeks ago finalizing a dependency and neglect case and I was representing the foster parents in finalizing the adoption of a child. I'm ready to hit the ground running with whatever comes my way."
Snively served on the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct. The committee has the responsibility and authority to discipline attorneys for violation of ethical rules.
Warren, 55, is a former attorney ad litem, a lawyer appointed by a court to act as an advocate for the best interests of a minor. She is chairwoman-elect of the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Section of the Arkansas Bar Association and has been selected to author an updated version of the Domestic Relations Handbook, a legal resource.
Warren said much of her career has focused on conflict resolution, including helping create a mediation program in Benton County Juvenile Court for foster children in dependency and neglect cases before becoming an attorney ad litem in juvenile court for the state. An Arkansas attorney ad litem represents children or other incapacitated persons in family law cases and guardianship cases when custody is an issue.
"The attorney ad litem is not for the state and it's not for the parents and you're really all trying to be on the same page and work toward what is best for the child," Warren said. "I took that job and I did it full time for 11 years and I was very passionate about it because it was a great way to use the conflict resolution skills that I have."
Warren said when she opened her own law practice she expanded to also represent parents, relatives and others in the juvenile court system.
"So, really, the totality of my law career has been spent representing children and families in domestic relations and juvenile law," Warren said.
Come hear the candidates
An upcoming judicial forum will feature Stacey Zimmerman, the incumbent juvenile court judge in the 4th Judicial District, and her opponent Robert L. Depper III. Depper and Zimmerman are vying for the Division 3 bench. The district covers Washington and Madison counties.
The forum, sponsored by the Washington County League of Women Voters, will be from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Fayettville Public Library.
Source: Staff report
NW News on 01/13/2020