By Ray King
Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson and Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr., have been served copies of the lawsuit filed against them by the City of Pine Bluff over jail bed space fees.
Both confirmed to Deltaplex News both had received copies of the lawsuit, which also named all 13 members of the Quorum Court as defendants, all in their official capacity.
Robinson said he will be meeting with the County Attorney early next week to work on an answer to the suit, which was filed March 15 by City Attorney Althea Hadden Scott, but is not ready to make a public statement. Woods also declined to talk about the lawsuit.
At issue is a 2006 agreement between the city and county that settled a lawsuit between the city and county that was signed in 2006 and dealt with bedspace at the new county jail, with the city guaranteed 75 beds to house misdemeanor those arrested or convicted of misdemeanor crimes. The city would also have first priority on 30 additional beds that had been allocated to other municipalities and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff if those entities were not using the beds.
The agreement went on to provide that the county would cover the incarceration costs, including food and medical care and the city would not be liable for costs unless it exceeded not only its 75 bed limit but also the 30 beds the city had first priority to.
Despite a clause providing that the agreement would be reviewed from time to time, there have been no changes made since it was signed by the late County Judge Jack Jones and former Pine Bluff Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr. Any changes or alterations to the agreement would require both the city and county to sign off on them.
In December 2020, The Quorum Court adopted an ordinance imposing a $30 per day per detainee fee for each prisoner from any city that is accepted and kept by Jefferson County.
Pine Bluff was billed $9,780 for the month of January and 6,500 for the month of February, the lawsuit said.
