Judge Threatens to Dismiss Arkansas AG's Lawsuit Against Corrections Board

The ongoing dispute involves the control of the state prison system, with the board recently suspending the Corrections Secretary and suing the state over a new law.

• Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has filed a lawsuit against the state's Corrections Board, accusing the panel of violating the law when it hired an outside attorney in its dispute with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders over who runs the state prison system.
• Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox has threatened to dismiss the lawsuit in 30 days if Griffin doesn't reach an agreement with the board on a special counsel, criticizing Griffin for filing the lawsuit without arranging for a special counsel to represent the panel.
• The board's attorney, Abtin Mehdizadegan, said the panel believed Fox's ruling recognizes the extreme conflicts of interest presented by the attorney general’s retaliatory lawsuit against the board.
• The board last week suspended state Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri and sued the state over a new law that took away the panel's authority over Profiri and two other top officials.
• The dispute stems from the Sanders administration moving forward with opening temporary prison beds that the board has not approved, with members of the board saying this would jeopardize the safety of inmates and staff.

3 Articles

Fox News Washington Post Associated Press