Council Information

Purpose

The purpose of the Arkansas District Judges Council is to promote the common professional interests of its members. Those interests include:

• to foster and preserve the integrity, dignity and independence of the judiciary and to promote uniformity and dispatch in judicial administration
• to develop, implement and maintain a program of judicial education providing assistance to members newly elected or appointed to the bench, providing continuing judicial education for members and designed to accommodate the diverse needs and interests of district judges.

 

The Board

The Board of Directors of the Council is composed of a president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, the immediate past president, and a representative from each of the state’s four Congressional districts.  The Board meets semi-annually at the Council’s Spring and Fall Colleges and as often as the Board deems necessary to carry on its business.  The purpose of the Officers and the Board of Directors is to formulate proposals and policies for approval of the organization at its Spring and Fall meetings. Kay Palmer has served as the Council’s Executive Director since 2006 and handles the day to day operation of the Council’s business.

Officers for 2008-09 are:

President	Hon. Milas “Butch” Hale III Sherwood District Court
Vice President	Hon. Kim Bridgforth Pine Bluff District Court
Secretary - Treasurer	Hon. Wayne Gruber Pulaski County District Court
First District Representative	Hon. Dan Stidham Greene County District Court
Second District Representative	Hon. Alice Lightle Little Rock District Court
Third District Representative	Hon. Don Bourne Pope County District Court
Fourth District Representative	Hon. Randy Hill Clark County District Court
Immediate Past President	Hon. Mike Irwin Cleburne County District Court