Arkansas Supreme Court Decisions

Established in 1836, the Arkansas Supreme Court derives its authority from Article 7, Section 4 and Amendment 80, Section 2 of the Arkansas Constitution. It consists of seven justices, including a Chief Justice, a Vice Chief Justice, and five Associate Justices. In addition to reviewing appeals from lower courts and conducting special proceedings under Article 6 of the Arkansas Constitution, the Court oversees lower state courts and attorneys in Arkansas.

To be eligible to serve as a justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court, a candidate must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of Arkansas for more than two years. They must have practiced law for at least the last eight years, and they must have good moral character. Justices are elected in eight-year terms, but the Governor of Arkansas has the authority to make interim appointments if a seat becomes vacant in the middle of a term. A justice who receives an interim appointment cannot run for that seat in the next election. The same election rules apply to the Chief Justice and the Vice Chief Justice as to the Associate Justices.

The judicial discipline and disability commission in Arkansas may recommend the removal, suspension, censure, or retirement of a justice. However, the Arkansas Supreme Court will make the final decision on whether to follow this recommendation. A justice alternatively may be removed if they are impeached by the Arkansas House of Representatives in a majority vote and then convicted by the Arkansas Senate in a two-thirds vote. After the conviction, the Governor will make the final decision on whether to remove the justice.

Browse Opinions From the Arkansas Supreme Court

Recent Decisions From the Arkansas Supreme Court
WHITESIDE v. STATE OF ARKANSAS (Majority)  
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 30
Docket Number: CR-23-354

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Arkansas reviewed an appeal from Lemuel Whiteside, who was challenging the denial of his petition for postconviction relief under Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 37.1. Whiteside was previously…

STATE OF ARKANSAS, DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINiSTRATION v. WILSON (Majority, with Dissenting)  
Date: March 7, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 25
Docket Number: CV-23-412

Justia Opinion Summary: The Arkansas Supreme Court reversed and remanded a decision of the Phillips County Circuit Court, which had found in favor of Kit and Jole Wilson in their dispute with the Arkansas Department of Finance and…

MONACO v. LEWIS (Majority, with Concurring and Dissenting)  
Date: March 7, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 27
Docket Number: CV-23-511

Justia Opinion Summary: Fred and Sandra Monaco took legal action against the Faulkner County Assessor and the Faulkner County Tax Collector concerning the 2021 assessment of their property. Sandra Monaco had purchased a parcel of timberland in…

ROYCE CALKINS v. STATE OF ARKANSAS (Majority)  
Date: February 22, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 23
Docket Number: CR-23-486

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case, Royce Calkins appealed a Stone County Circuit Court order that convicted him of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced him to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment, plus a fifteen-year…

NELSON v. STATE OF ARKANSAS (Majority)  
Date: February 22, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 24
Docket Number: CR-23-603

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the appellant, William Nelson, appealed his conviction of first-degree domestic battery by a Lonoke County jury in the Supreme Court of Arkansas. He raised seven points on appeal: (1) substantial evidence…

Ephriam v. State (Majority)  
Date: February 15, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 21
Docket Number: CR-22-590

Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Arkansas, the defendant, Kevonce Ephriam, was appealing his conviction for capital murder. Ephriam was convicted for the death of his three-month-old son, whom he had custody of at the time of the…

Neal v. State (Majority)  
Date: February 15, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 16
Docket Number: CR-23-411

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Arkansas upheld the first-degree murder conviction of Ricky Lewis Neal, a blind man who was sentenced as a violent-felony habitual offender to life imprisonment. The case arose from the death of…

Hundley v. Payne (Majority, with Dissenting)  
Date: February 15, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 19
Docket Number: CV-23-282

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1980, Thernell Hundley was convicted of capital murder and rape, and received a life sentence without parole. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders were…

Haverstick v. Haverstick (Majority, with Dissenting)  
Date: February 15, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 17
Docket Number: CV-23-73

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Arkansas was hearing an appeal regarding the distribution of the estate of John Haverstick Sr., specifically an annuity that he had purchased. The appellants were John Sr.'s sons, John…

Woodruff v. State (Majority, with Dissenting)  
Date: February 8, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 8
Docket Numbers: CR-23-111, CV-23-439

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1992, Darren Woodruff, the appellant, was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in Arkansas. In 2023, he appealed pro se, claiming that his sentence was illegal because he was…

Williams v. State (Majority)  
Date: February 8, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 7
Docket Numbers: CR-23-308, CR-23-342

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case from the Supreme Court of Arkansas, defendant Robert J. Williams, Jr. appealed his conviction for capital murder and aggravated assault. Williams argued that the trial court erred in granting the State's…

WILLIAMS v. STATE OF ARKANSAS (Majority)  
Date: February 8, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 12
Docket Number: CR-23-342

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Arkansas affirmed the verdict of the Ashley County Circuit Court convicting Robert J. Williams, Jr. of capital murder and aggravated assault and sentencing him to life imprisonment without parole and…

JASON FARMER v. DEXTER PAYNE, DIRECTOR, ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION (Majority)
Date: February 8, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 15
Docket Number: CV-22-684
Farmer v. Payne (Majority)  
Date: February 8, 2024
Citation: 2024 Ark. 10
Docket Number: CV-22-684

Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Arkansas, Jason Farmer, an inmate, appealed the denial of his pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, which he filed alleging ineffective assistance of his trial and appellate counsel, as well…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

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