Ark. 9th E. Jud. Cir. Admin. Plan

Administrative Plan

for

Ninth East (9-E} Judicial Circuit

Effective January 1, 2026

Pursuant to Administrative Order No. 14, the following Administrative Plan is

submitted to the Arkansas Supreme Court. The Ninth East Judicial Circuit is composed

of Clark County, Arkansas and is served by one Circuit Judge, Blake Batson, and one

full-time State District Judge, Randy Hill.

1. CASE ASSIGNMENT AND ALLOCATION

The Ninth East Circuit is a one-judge circuit. The Circuit Judge will hear all cases

in all five divisions: criminal, civil, domestic relations, probate and juvenile. The

estimated caseload follows: 250 criminal cases, 225 civil cases, 225 domestic relations

cases, 175 probate cases, and 125 juvenile cases.

11. ENHANCED JURY LIST

□ Yes

l2Sl No

After careful consideration, the Ninth-East Circuit determined the use of registered

voters creates a sufficient pool for the selection of jurors to offer an adequate cross

section of the community and declines the use of the enhanced jury list pursuant to Ark.

Code Ann. §16-32-303.

111. SPECIAL TY COURTS

Tvpe of Specialty Court

Drug Court

Location

Clark County

A. Description of Program and How it Operates. Judge Randy Hill presides over

the circuit court drug court concurrently with Judge Blake Batson. Felony Drug

Court meets the 1 st & 3 rd Thursday of each month. The 9th East Judicial District Drug

Court (DC) is a pre-adjudication program that serves offenders, minimum and

medium risk

defendants, excluding violent offenders and sex offenders. The 9th East Drug Court

program is a four-phase 12 month drug treatment program with after care up to 18

months. Participants' treatment needs are assessed by the treatment staff, upon referral

to the program and throughout the program based on the changing circumstances and

compliance with court orders. Incentives and sanctions are issued by the judge based

upon the participant's program compliance through the treatment phases. Intensive

supervision is provided by DCC probation staff. Participants receive at least monthly

court reviews. The Drug Court Coordinator or his/her designee enters data on

performance measures on each drug court participant into SCALES.

B. Statutory or Legal Authority. A.C.A. §16-98-301 et seq.

C. Certification. The program conforms to all applicable sentencing laws, including

fines, fees, court costs, and probation assessment.

D. Description of the Program's Use of Court Resources. The Drug Court Team

consists of Circuit Judge Blake Batson, State District Judge Randy Hill, Deputy Prosecutor

Gina White, Public Defender Clint Mathis, ACC Probation Officer, ACC Substance Abuse

Counselor Marla Hammond and Drug Court Coordinator Penny Ross. JDC Team

members participate in staffings and in hearings to ensure that all available resources are

used in a timely manner to meet a participant's individualized needs. Treatment is

provided by DCC Staff and other available treatment providers.

E. Source of Funding. Department of Community Corrections and monies allocated

to this budget from fees paid by participants of the program.

IV. ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO.18 REFERRALS FROM CIRCUIT COURT.

Has the circuit court referred matters pursuant to Administrative Order No. 18 to be heard

by a state district judge?

tr Yes

trNo

The state district judge participating in referrals from the circuit court includes:

District Court

Name Judicial District Assionment and Allocation of Cases

Judge Randy Hill 40h District 100% of Referrals to State District Judge

*These matters will only be referred to Judge Hill when Judge Batson is unavailable'

Matters Su b ect to Reference

The following matters are referred from circuit court to state district court and have been

included in the administrative plan for the circuit court and the administrative plan for the

district court:

E Consent Jurisdiction. Upon the consent of all parties and approval by the circuit

judge originally assigned, the following types of cases are referred from circuit court:

X Civil

X Domestic Relations

X Probate

"consent jurisdiction will be utilized by agreement and if Judge Batson is unavailable.

tr Protective Orders.

I Forcible Entry and Detainers / Unlawful Detainer.

a other Matters of an Emergency or uncontested Nature Pending in civil,

Domestic Relations or Probate Division. Please provide detailed information regarding

the types of mafters that witt be referred and where these matters will be heard below.

Tvoe of Other I\,4atters Location

Clark County Circuit Courtroom or

Clark County District Courtroom -

Arkadelphia DePartment

Request for Ex Parte Mental Commitment

Allo",tion of Cas"t

Pro Se Uncontested Divorces Clark County Circuit Courtroom or

Clark County District Courtroom -

Arkadelphia Department

Request for Ex Parte Drug / Alcohol Commitment Clark County Circuit Courtroom or

Clark County District Courtroom -

Arkadelphia Department

*These matters will be referred by agreement to Judge Hill and when Judge Batson is

unavailable.

□ Other Matters, if Justification for the Reference and Procedures to be Employed

are Sufficiently Demonstrated in the Circuit Court Administration Plan Pursuant to

Administrative Order No. 14. Please provide detailed information regarding the types

of matters that will be referred and where these matters will be heard below.

Type of Other Matters Location

Not Applicable

� Criminal. The following duties are referred with respect to an investigation or

prosecution of an offense lying within the exclusive jurisdiction of the circuit court on an

as needed basis:

181 Issue Search Warrant Pursuant to Rule 13.1

IZI Issue Arrest Warrant Pursuant to Rule 7.1 or A.C.A. §16-81-104

Issue Summons Pursuant to Rule 6.1

D Reasonable Cause Determinations Pursuant to Rule 4.1 ( e)

IZI Conduct First Appearance Pursuant to Rule 8.1

IZI Appoint Counsel Pursuant to Rule 8.2

181 Inform Defendant Pursuant to Rule 8.3

□ Accept Plea of "Not Guilty" or "Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity"

181 Conduct Pretrial Release Inquiry Rules 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3

□ Conduct Preliminary Hearing Pursuant to A.C.A. §16-93-307

Other criminal matters may be referred including authority to sign miscellaneous criminal

orders of a non-adversarial nature. Examples of such non-adversarial orders include,

but are not limited to, orders involving the conversion of fines, fees, and court costs to

community service, and orders applying funds received from the Great Arkansas

Treasure Hunt to fines, fees, court costs, and restitution.

Digital Audio Recording Equipment

Is digital audio recording equipment utilized to make a verbatim record of matters referred

from the circuit court?

� Yes

No

I District Court Administrative Plans

The following district court administrative plans are appended for submission to the

supreme court:

181 40 th District - Clark County

I Circuit Court Specialty Court Dockets or Programs

Does a district court judge preside over a circuit court specialty court program?

IZ!Yes

□ No

*Judge Randy Hill presides over the circuit court drug court concurrently with Judge Blake

Batson.

The following circuit court specialty courts are conducted: Drug Court

A Description of Program and How it Operates. Judge Randy Hill presides over

the circuit court drug court concurrently with Judge Blake Batson. Felony Drug Court

meets the 1 st & 3 rd Thursday of each month. The 9th East Judicial District Drug Court (DC)

is a pre-adjudication program that serves offenders, minimum and medium risk

defendants, excluding violent offenders and sex offenders. The 9 th East Drug Court

program is a four-phase 12 month drug treatment program with after care up to 18

months. Participants' treatment needs are assessed by the treatment staff, upon referral

to the program and throughout the program based on the changing circumstances and

compliance with court orders. Incentives and sanctions are issued by the judge based

upon the participant's program compliance through the treatment phases. Intensive

supervision is provided by DCC probation staff. Participants receive at least monthly

court reviews. The Drug Court Coordinator or his/her designee enters data on

performance measures on each drug court participant into SCALES.

B. Statutory or Legal Authority. AC.A. §16-98-301 et seq.

C. Certification. The program conforms to all applicable sentencing laws, including

fines, fees, court costs, and probation assessment.

D. Description of the Program's Use of Court Resources. The Drug Court Team

consists of Circuit Judge Blake Batson, State District Judge Randy Hill, Deputy

Prosecutor Gina White, Public Defender Janice Williams, ACC Probation Officer, ACC

Substance Abuse Counselor Carla Nutt and Drug Court Coordinator Penny Ross. JDC

Team members participate in staffings and in hearings to ensure that all available

resources are used in a timely manner to meet a participants individualized

needs. Treatment is provided by DCC Staff and other available treatment providers.

E. Source of Funding. Department of Community Corrections and monies allocated

to this budget from fees paid by participants of the program.

I V. Approval

The State District Judge has agreed to the referrals of circuit court matters as set

forth in this Administrative Plan.