Ark. 15th Jud. Cir. Admin. Plan

ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN 15TH

JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

Pursuant to Administrative Order Number 14, the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit

submits the following Administrative Plan for Circuit Court Administration

which becomes effective January 1, 2026:

1. Cases filed in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit shall be

designated by the clerks of the various courts according to the following

subject division: Criminal, Civil, Juvenile, Probate and Domestic Relations.

2. The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit is made up of four counties: Conway, Logan,

Scott and Yell Counties. The Conway County Courthouse is located in

Morrilton, Arkansas. Logan County has dual county seats with courthouses

located in Paris and Booneville, Arkansas. The Scott County Courthouse is

located in Waldron, Arkansas. Yell County has dual county seats with

courthouses located in Dardanelle and Danville, Arkansas.

3. The present Administrative Plan will break down division assignments by

courthouse.

4. Circuit Court Division 1 is currently held by Circuit Judge Jerry Don Ramey

and shall have the following case assignments:

a. 100% of all criminal cases, civil property forfeitures and adult civil

commitment matters in Morrilton, Paris, Booneville, Waldron,

Dardanelle and Danville, including criminal appeals from the District

Courts within the 15'" Judicial District;

b. 33% of the civil matters in Morrilton.

5. Circuit Court Division 2 is currently held by Circuit Judge David H.

McCormick and shall have the following case assignments:

a. 100% of the domestic relations cases in Morrilton, Dardanelle,

Booneville and Waldron;

b. 67% of the domestic relations cases in Danville and Paris;

c. 67% of the Office of Child Support Enforcement cases in Danville

and Paris;

d. 67% of all general civil matters in Morrilton, Dardanelle, Danville,

Paris, Booneville and Waldron; and

e. 67% of the probate matters in Morrilton, Dardanelle, Danville, Paris,

Booneville and Waldron.

6. Circuit Court Division 3 is currently held by Circuit Judge Terry M.

Sullivan and shall have the following assignments:

a. 100% of all juvenile cases in Morrilton, Dardanelle, Danville, Paris,

Booneville and Waldron;

b. 33% of the domestic relations cases in Danville and Paris;

c. 100% of the Office of Child Support Enforcement cases in

Dardanelle, Booneville and Morrilton;

d. 33% of the Office of Child Support Enforcement cases in Danville

and Paris;

e. 33% of the probate cases in Morrilton, Dardanelle, Paris, Booneville

and Waldron;

f. 100% of the Adult Protective Services cases in Morrilton, Dardanelle,

Danville, Paris, Booneville and Waldron;

g. 33% of all general civil cases in Dardanelle, Danville, Paris,

Booneville and Waldron.

7. All categories that have a percentage of the total number of cases divided

between divisions shall be randomly assigned. The random assignments

shall comply with the method and regulations set out by the appropriate

authority at the time of assignment.

8. Pursuant to A.C.A. 16-98-302, Division 1, of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit,

which encompasses all criminal cases, shall maintain a Drug Court

Program and a Veteran's Court Program for qualified participants. Entry

into the Drug Court/Veteran's Court Programs shall be accessed through

designated screening guidelines, with entry into the Drug Court/Veteran

Court Programs discretionary. Admission into the Drug Court/Veteran

Court Programs shall be considered based upon the individual

characteristics of the applicant, the statutory guidelines and acceptance

by the presiding judge. The intent of the Drug Court/Veteran's Court

Programs is to provide judicial intervention and support for effective

treatment programs that reduce the incidence of drug use, drug

addiction, and family separation due to parental substance abuse and

drug related crimes. The Fifteenth Judicial Drug Court/Veteran's Court

Programs shall be supported by Arkansas Community Correction with

services provided in Booneville, Danville and Morrilton. The Booneville

Drug Court/Veteran's Court Programs will also provide services to Scott

County and the Paris District of Logan County. The Danville Drug Court/

Veteran's Court Programs will also provide services to the Dardanelle

District of Yell County. Veteran's Court Program participants will also be

supported by the Veteran's Administration. Each Arkansas Community

Correction team shall consist of a Supervision Officer, a Counselor and

an Administrative Assistant. Monthly review shall be conducted in the

respective jurisdiction by a team consisting of such participants, as the

prosecuting attorney, or a designated representative, a public defender or

private voluntary attorney, the Arkansas Community Correction staff

listed above, a representative of the Veteran's Administration team and

other such individuals that may provide constructive/positive assistance

to the Drug Court/Veteran's Court Programs. Funding for the Drug Court/

Veteran's Court Programs shall include state designated funds, grants,

contributions and any other such funds that may be provided to each

individual program. Supervision of the Fifteenth

Judicial Circuit Drug/Veteran's Court Programs shall be provided by the

presiding judge of Division 1, of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.

9. The process for judicial recusal was modified via Administrative Order 1

and Administrative Order 16 to set forth that starting January 27, 2025 it

is no longer necessary for judicial administrative plans to provide for the

process of handling judicial recusal, the reassignment of a case or

requests for assignment of a judge by the Supreme Court. As such, the

Fifteenth Judicial Circuit does hereby acknowledge the procedure that

judicial recusals will initiate with a general recusal by the recusing

judge. Upon receiving the general recusal, the circuit/county clerk for

that county shall contact the circuit judge of the next numerical division

to ascertain whether the contacted circuit judge also has a conflict. If

not, that circuit judge shall be assigned the matter. If that circuit judge

does have a conflict, the circuit/county clerk shall contact the remaining

circuit judge and assign the case to that circuit judge, if there is no

conflict. If all three circuit judges have a conflict with the case, the

circuit/county clerk shall complete the attached Form Requesting A

Special Judge and email it to specialjudge@arcourts.gov for the

Supreme Court to assign a special judge. In order to comply with the

intent that recused cases remain independent, the Arkansas

Administrative Office of the Court's Trial Administration Assistant shall

be responsible for assigning a court reporter and scheduling future

hearings and trials on the recused case.

10.The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit is served by two full time state district

courts, the Twelfth Judicial District Court and the Twenty-Fourth Judicial

District Court. The Twelfth Judicial District Court consists of Conway

County District Court, Yell County District Court (Dardanelle and

Danville Divisions) and Logan County District Court (Booneville and

Paris Divisions) Each District Court is served by District Judge Brian

Mueller. (See attached Twelfth Judicial District Court Plan.) The

Twenty-Fourth Judicial District consists of Montgomery County, Poll<

County, and Scott Counties District Courts. It is served by District

Judge Danny Thrailkill (See attached Twenty-Fourth District Court Plan).

11. Caseload Estimate. Application of the case plan will result in

approximately the following case numbers by division:

Division I -- 1,345

Division II -- 1,709

Division III -- 1,225

The above stated District Courts may have primary responsibility

to preside over the following cases including scheduling and related

administrative duties:

a. Pro Se uncontested divorces.

b. Forcible Entry and Detainers and Unlawful Detainers.

c. Search Warrants pursuant to ArRCrimP, Rule 13.2.

d. Arrest Warrants pursuant to ArRCrimP, Rule 7 .1.

e. Collection Cases - uncontested default judgment motions,

uncontested garnishments, post judgment contempt hearings

for debtor failure to file financial schedules, motions for

extension of time for service of process, uncontested motions

for summary judgment or judgment on the pleadings.

f. Orders of Protection, with the exception that Orders of

Protection for Yell County and Conway County shall remain

assigned to Circuit Court as set forth in the present

Administrative Plan.

g. Civil, domestic relations and probate cases upon the consent

of all parties pursuant to Administrative Order No. 18(d.)

h. Criminal First Appearances pursuant to ArRCrimP, Rules 8.1-

8.4 and bond hearings.

The above stated District Courts will not be primarily responsible for,

but will be authorized to handle, the following matters when the Circuit

Judge is unavailable:

a. Requests for ex-parte mental commitment orders;

b. Requests for ex parte drug/alcohol commitment orders; and

c. Transport orders for incarcerated litigants or witnesses.

11.lt is agreed that judicial expediency and consistency is better

achieved with only one judge presiding over the criminal subject

cases and one judge presiding over the juvenile subject matter cases

in the Fifteenth Judicial District. Therefore, this plan provides that

Circuit Court Division 1 is assigned all criminal cases and

Circuit Court Division 3 is ssigned all juvenile cases. This plan

will allow the Prosecuting Attorney to be present at criminal jury

jury trials and related matters.

12.This plan takes into consideration that this district is made up of

four (4) counties with six (6) separate courthouses. Each of the

six (6) courthouses only provide one courtroom that will

accommodate a jury trial. One (1) courthouse also has a bench

trial accessible courtroom inside the courthouse with a separate

courthouse providing a remote bench trial accessible courtroom

inside the Detention Center. Each of these courtrooms are shared

by three (3) Circuit Court Judges and two (2) State Court District

Judges.

13.This plan also takes into consideration the individual experiences of

the caseload of each judge.

14.lt has been and will continue to be the policy of each judge in the

Fifteenth Judicial Circuit to exercise jurisdiction over all matters,

regardless of the subject matter division, and to act for, on behalf,

and in substitution of the other judges when exigent circumstances

warrant, when it is appropriate for the convenience of the litigants,

attorneys, witnesses and at all other times when not to act may

likely cause justifiable criticism of the judiciary of the Fifteenth

Judicial Circuit.

15.All judges of the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit shall

at all times have the authority to hear the matters within the

jurisdiction of the Circuit Court. This administrative policy does not

affect the right nor power of the Circuit Judges to, by agreement,

temporarily amend or modify any provision of this policy when, in

his judgment, it is necessary for the fair administration of justice.

16.This plan does hereby take into consideration Senate Bill 159 of the

90 " ' General Assembly which amends A.C.A. 5- 73-122(a)( 1) regarding

carrying a firearm in a publicly owned building or facility. However,

the authority of each Circuit Judge is reserved by each Circuit Judge

to set individual policies of handguns/firearms in his individual

courtroom.