An Arkansas Supreme Court justice seeking a second term will face off against a lower court judge and a well-known lawyer in the May 24 election in which voters will also decide various Democratic primary races and republicans.

Associate Supreme Court Justice Robin Wynne, who is seeking re-election, faces two opponents: District Judge Chris Carnahan and attorney David Sterling.

Wynne, 69, has served as an associate judge in position 2 on the state Supreme Court since 2015. He previously served as a judge on the Arkansas Court of Appeals and a district judge in Dallas County.

Wynne said he hoped people would vote for him based on his court service record.

“I’ve written over 250 opinions on the Supreme Court and I’ve written over 220 opinions on the Arkansas Court of Appeals,” he said. “I have almost 10 years of experience in the appellate court system. People can look at my opinions and decide what type of Supreme Court Justice I am.”

Wynne said he believed he had done what his oath required of him, which was to apply the rule of law to each case.

“I think based on my experience and my almost eight years on the Supreme Court, people felt that I deserved another term and they will elect me again for a second term,” he said. declared.

Carnahan, 50, has served as a Division 1 district judge in Faulkner and Van Buren counties since Jan. 1, 2021, after winning election to the position. From January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020, Carnahan served as a Division 2 District Judge after being nominated by Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson. Prior to that, Hutchinson appointed him as a circuit judge in the 20th Judicial Circuit, which includes Faulkner, Searcy and Van Buren counties, from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2018.

Carnahan said he believed his life experience was what separated him from the other candidates. He said growing up in southwest Little Rock, he saw what crime and a broken justice system can do to a city.

“I believe my primary role in Faulkner and Van Buren counties is to protect the lives of innocent people if an accused is found guilty,” he said. “As a judge, it is important to have argued cases before a jury, as well as presided over Circuit Court hearings and jury trials. Being an attorney for the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy has been a blessing to my career. judiciary, both in terms of my knowledge of the addiction issues that my court deals with and my relationship with a highly regulated profession, which provides quality health care for all of us.”

He said court experience is important to maintain neutrality before holding hearings, seeing evidence or reading any pleadings.

“Judges sometimes have to do unpopular things, and dealing with those decisions requires more than being a lawyer,” he said. “Having hands-on experience in both small town and big city as a senior assistant prosecutor, being a defense attorney in a criminal case, having domestic relations practice and general civil practice are all important. I did all of this.”

Sterling, a longtime Little Rock attorney, is making his second attempt to win a seat on the state Supreme Court. In 2018, he was defeated in a runoff by Judge Courtney Hudson.

Sterling first came to prominence with voters in the state during an unsuccessful 2014 Republican primary run for attorney general. The following year, he was hired to head the legal division of the Department of social services under the administration of Governor Asa Hutchinson.

“I am the most conservative candidate, whose values ​​reflect those of most Arkansans. I am a strong Christian and have practiced law for 25 years,” Sterling said. “I paid for my own education in college, graduate school and law school. I worked in a small firm for 5 years, in a large firm for 4 years and in my own firm for 7 years Governor Hutchinson appointed me Chief Council at DHS in 2015, overseeing the state government’s largest law firm.”

A ROLE OF JUDGE

Wynne said he believed the judge’s role was reflected in his tenure on the court.

“And that’s to apply the rule of law and to continue to be fair and impartial and to treat every litigant as if it’s the most important issue of their life, and in many ways it is. “, did he declare. “I hope to continue doing that.”

Wynne said he hopes people realize how important the role of a Supreme Court justice is to the state.

“And I would like them to understand that the rule of law is the most important consideration I have when reviewing their case,” he said. “And regardless of anything else, what’s before me in the record, which is the briefs and the lower court record. I read those things and apply the law, and I believe that if they look at my opinions, that person would see consistency and faithfully reflect the rule of law.”

Carnahan said he believed that a judge or judge should operate within the bounds of the law and render decisions and opinions in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the General Assembly, as long as these statutes do not violate the constitutional rights of the people.

“Judges and judges should stay in their lane and not seek to resolve issues beyond the scope of the case before them, nor should they put themselves in the position of being “super lawmakers” who cross the line and decide policy issues,” he said. “Furthermore, the role of a judge is to provide stability to the legal landscape so that businesses and citizens do not operate on shifting sands unless a constitutional right is at stake. Finally, the Judges must respect their own previous decisions in court, unless the results are manifestly wrong.”

Sterling said a judge’s role is to use the Constitution as a North Star and avoid the temptation to legislate from the bench.

“Under the separation of powers, the legislative branch makes laws, the executive branch applies those laws, and the judiciary applies those laws to the facts and circumstances of each case in a fair and impartial manner,” he said. “Essentially, judges should just call balls and strikes and leave policy-making to the legislature. If a judge disagrees with a law, they must still enforce the law unless it is inconsistent with the Constitution. If they want to change the law, they should hang up their robes and run for legislative office instead.”

JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY

Carnahan said voters should know his judicial philosophy is practical.

“Constitutions matter,” he said. “The text of a law matters, and laws passed by the people and the legislature must be respected and interpreted with their original meaning in their context. Innocent human life must be protected by judges and the guilty must be humanely punished or rehabilitated. Farmers, businesses, and citizens need a Supreme Court that allows them to make rational decisions about their economic interests and that will protect private property rights. Finally, voters should know that by voting for me , they will not lose their vote.

Sterling said he wants Arkansans to know that if they want to put a strong, judicially conservative Christian justice on the Supreme Court, they will have that opportunity in this election by voting for him.

“If they want a Supreme Court that more closely reflects the values ​​of all Arkansans, that’s what I’m proposing,” he said. “If they want a judge who respects the constitutional role of the judiciary and avoids the temptation to veer off that path, they should vote for me. If they want a judge who will serve with honor and integrity, they can trust me to do So. I’ve always earned an “AV Preeminent” Martindale Hubble rating for my high legal ability and integrity. Governor Hutchinson twice named me a special judge on the Supreme Court, and now I’m running for a full term. and I ask for your vote.”

Wynne, the incumbent in the race, said he would just like voters to find out about the Supreme Court.

“I think one of the most important things is that the people of Arkansas can still elect Supreme Court justices,” he said. “I think it allows people with their vote to determine who is going to sit on their court as opposed to an appointed system that some states have. I would just ask that voters be as informed as possible of someone’s responsibilities on the court supreme. while they were voting.”