A lawsuit alleging malfeasance by seven members of the Jefferson County Quorum Court was filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court last week.
Named in the lawsuit are First Division Justice of the Peace Alfred Carroll, Second Division Justice of the Peace Reginald Adams, Third Division Justice of the Peace Reginald Johnson, Sixth Division Justice of the Peace Margarette Williams, Seventh Division Justice of the Peace Melanie Johnson Dumas, Ninth Division Justice of the Peace Cedric Jackson and 13th Division Justice of the Peace Brenda Bishop Gaddy.
That lawsuit was filed by Garland Trice, Pamela Banes Earnest, Bruce Carman, Victor Johnson and Glenda Davis and among other things accuse the JP’s of holding meetings without the permission of County Judge Gerald Robinson.
The lawsuit is seeking to have the JP’s removed from office.
It also accuses the JP’s attempting to pass ordinances and to have funds disbursed by the county for their benefit without Robinson’s approval.
Specifically, the lawsuit says that on Feb. 26, the county received a bill from lawyers hired by the JP’s to represent them in a lawsuit filed by Robinson. That bill was for more than $31,000.00 and, according to the lawsuit, the seven JP’s voted for the county to pay that bill and signed the claim.
Arkansas law provides that JP’s have no authority to sign claims. That authority rests solely with the County Judge and Robinson has said he will not pay the bill.
