By Ray King
A lawsuit filed by Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson against members of the Quorum Court went strongly in Robinson’s favor, based on an opinion by Special Judge William Randall Wright Monday afternoon.
Wright was appointed to hear the case after all the judges in the county withdrew, citing the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Robinson alleged in his lawsuit that the Quorum Court has been in violation of state law since the first meeting of 2023 when they failed to approve an ordinance establishing the policies and procedures the court will operate under for two years.
“The court finds that the Jefferson County Quorum Court failed to pass such ordinances not only at its January meeting but continued to violate the clear direction of Arkansas law in subsequent meetings,” Wright said in his order.
At a hearing in December, testimony and a video from a June 26, 2023 meeting was viewed by Wright who described the scene as “utter chaos and discourse” as an attempt to pass the ordinance failed.
Wright said the justices of the peace failed to follow basic procedure by attempting to waive reading of a proposed ordinance for a second and third time thereby allowing a vote on the ordinance. There were only 7 members present, and Arkansas law requires to suspend the rule, two-thirds of the whole Quorum Court had to be present, meaning 9.
The ordinance that was adopted by those 7 members was not properly presented and not properly approved or enacted, Wright said in the ordinance.
A counterclaim by the JP’s that Robinson could have vetoed that ordinance but didn’t was rejected by Wright who said that since the ordinance was not properly presented or approved, there was no necessity of a veto.
Wright also wrote that counterclaims by the JP’s dealing with selecting members to committees, approve the disbursal of funds failed to prove that Robinson had not complied with the duties mandated by state law and Robinson “has the continuing obligation to fulfill the duties of the office to which he has been elected.”
Robinson was awarded costs and attorney fees and his attorneys were ordered to submit those costs and attorney fees to Wright for approval.
