Judicial candidates discuss reasons for running
Posted on Thursday, May 1, 2008
BENTONVILLE - Candidates in nonpartisan elections for judge positions responded in varied ways to the question, what is your reason for running ?
The question was part of an evening of remarks and answers by the nonpartisan judicial candidates, who appeared Tuesday at a meeting of the Benton County League of Women Voters.
An amendment to the state constitution made judge elections nonpartisan ones. The nonpartisan judicial election in the state will be on the same day as the partisan primaries: May 20.
For the first time, Benton County residents will vote for district judges countywide this year. District judges were previously chosen districtwide, but judicial reforms have changed that.
Present Tuesday were Courtney Henry and Ronald Williams, candidates for the District 3 Position 2 seat on the state Court of Appeals; Robin Green and Jim Johnson, candidates for District 19-West Division 1 circuit judge; and Ray Bunch and Judge Doug Schrantz, candidates for District 19-West, Division 6 circuit judge.
Also present were District Court judge candidates in Rogers (District 1 ): Hardy "Casey"Croxton, Brad Karren and Rogers City Attorney Ben Lipscomb; and District Court judge candidates in Bentonville (District 2 ): Lisa Gaddy, Stephen Geigle and Judge John Skaggs. Courtney Henry She worked in the U. S. Bankruptcy Court with Judge Robert Fussell, then began appellate law work with the Arkansas Court of Appeals, working for Judges Frank Arey and Terry Crabtree, and Special Judge Steele Hays, Henry said. "I am uniquely qualified as an appellate attorney to serve as an appellate judge," she said.
She thinks of obligations to humanity, to the church and to the community as if on a horizontal beam; her "gifts and graces"as if on a vertical beam, with the intersection of the two her vocation: service on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, Henry said. Ronald Williams After practicing law for a long time, he decided it was time to give back to the public by serving as an appeals court judge, Williams said.
He has practiced law for more than three decades and also served as a deputy prosecuting attorney, as a bank attorney and trust officer, as corporate counsel for Radio Shack, as vice president and assistant general counsel for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and most recently as senior partner of Williams and Hutchinson, LLP in Rogers. He was licensed to practice law in Arkansas, in Texas and in the U. S. District Court, Western and Eastern Districts. Robin Green As a former county prosecuting attorney and now civil attorney for the county, she's handled successful prosecutions in capital murder and thousands of other cases - criminal and civil, Green said. "I believe I'm uniquely qualified," she said. Jim Johnson He was city judge in Cave Springs; a Benton County assistant public defender; and in 24 years of private practice or in public service handled thousands of criminal and civil case in circuit courts and presented cases before the state Supreme Court, the state Appellate Court, the Federal District Courts, the Federal 8 th Circuit Court and Arkansas District Courts, Johnson said.
"I have chosen to run for circuit judge because I can make a difference," he said. Ray Bunch "I plan to rule my court by the Golden Rule, … with patience, dignity, courtesy and respect for litigants, jurors, witnesses and attorneys," Bunch said.
He is a former deputy prosecutor who handled widely varying cases, including one that resulted in four defendants receiving the death penalty. He has also practiced law in Benton County for more than 20 years, handling more than 150 criminal felony cases, as well as civil cases, probate matters, juvenile cases and others. Judge Doug Schrantz As Benton County district judge, Division 1, for nearly four years; a former Rogers municipal judge and Rogers city attorney, as well as former general counsel to the Bella Vista Property Owners Association, Schrantz has lots of experience and considers the job he's seeking an interesting position in which to put it to use, he said "I'm intrigued by the position. I'll be able to put my handprint on that as well," Schrantz said.
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