A special judge has ruled in favor of Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson in his months-long salary dispute, ordering that Robinson and the county’s justices of the peace be paid following an opinion from Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin that found the law at issue unconstitutional as applied.
Special Judge Randall Wright granted Robinson’s petition for a writ of mandamus, directing County Clerk Shawndra Taggart to issue payment for withheld 2025 salaries. The ruling came after Griffin released a formal opinion concluding that Act 24 of 2025 cannot be interpreted to permanently withhold compensation from county judges or justices of the peace.
Robinson initially returned to court on Dec. 1, filing a mandamus petition in Jefferson County Circuit Court seeking $53,052.45 in unpaid salary. Represented by attorney Kenneth “Casey” Castleberry, Robinson argued that a County Court order approving his pay claim on Oct. 22 was final and legally binding, leaving the clerk with a mandatory duty to issue payment.
According to court filings, Robinson submitted his salary claim on Sept. 10 and notified the Arkansas Attorney General the following day that the matter raised a constitutional challenge. After the Attorney General acknowledged receipt, a hearing was held Oct. 22, and Robinson, acting in his judicial capacity, approved the claim and filed the order with the clerk’s office.
No valid appeal was filed within the 30-day period provided under Arkansas law, which expired Nov. 21. Although a notice of appeal was submitted that day by Lloyd Franklin II, it was filed with the County Clerk rather than the Circuit Clerk. Robinson argued the filing was legally ineffective, a position ultimately upheld by the court.
Taggart had declined to issue payment, citing Act 24 of 2025, which suspends pay for county judges and justices of the peace until a quorum court adopts an annual appropriation ordinance. She maintained that paying Robinson without further court direction would violate the statute.
In his Dec. 12 opinion, Griffin wrote that while Act 24 allows pay to be delayed, the Arkansas Constitution prohibits reducing a county officer’s compensation during a current term. Griffin concluded that the only constitutional interpretation of the law requires full back pay once an appropriation ordinance is adopted.
Griffin further reasoned that although Amendment 55 applies specifically to county officers, the identical statutory language in Act 24 applies to justices of the peace, making them likewise entitled to retroactive compensation.
Relying on that opinion, Wright issued the writ of mandamus, ordering the clerk to issue payment to Robinson and the justices of the peace whose salaries had been withheld.
Robinson had gone unpaid for much of 2025 amid disputes with members of the Jefferson County Quorum Court over appropriations and the constitutionality of Act 24. Wright’s ruling resolves the standoff and compels the county to issue the delayed payments, while also providing guidance on how the law must be applied going forward.
