Arkansas Supreme Court

Highest court in the U.S. state of Arkansas

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Supreme Court of Arkansas

34°44′42.6″N 92°17′27.5″W﻿ / ﻿34.745167°N 92.290972°W﻿ / 34.745167; -92.290972
Established| January 13, 1836
(188 years ago) (1836-01-13)
Jurisdiction| Arkansas
Location| Little Rock, Arkansas
Coordinates| 34°44′42.6″N 92°17′27.5″W﻿ / ﻿34.745167°N 92.290972°W﻿ / 34.745167; -92.290972
Composition method| Non-partisan election
Authorized by| Constitution of Arkansas
Appeals to| Supreme Court of the United States
Judge term length| 8 years
Number of positions| 7 (by statute)
Website| arcourts.gov/courts/supreme-court
Chief Justice
Currently| John Dan Kemp
Since| January 1, 2017 (2017-01-01)
This article is part of the series on the

Supreme Court of Arkansas
Current membership

Chief Justice

* Dan Kemp

* * *

Associate justices

* Courtney Hudson
* Barbara Webb
* Shawn Womack
* Karen Baker
* Rhonda Wood
* 1 seat vacant

Lists of justices

* List of all justices
* List of chief justices

* List of associate justices

* Other states
* Law Portal

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The Supreme Court of Arkansas is the highest court in the state judiciary of Arkansas. It has ultimate and largely discretionary appellate jurisdiction over all state court cases that involve a point of state law, and original jurisdiction over a narrow range of cases. The Supreme Court holds the power of judicial review, the ability to invalidate a statute for violating a provision of the Arkansas Constitution. It is also able to strike down gubernatorial directives for violating either the Constitution or statutory law. However, it may act only within the context of a case in an area of law over which it has jurisdiction.

The Superior Court of the Arkansas Territory was established in 1819. It consisted of three judges, and then four from 1828. It was the highest court in the territory, and was succeeded the Supreme Court,[1] established by Article Five of the 1836 Constitution, which was composed of three judges, to include a chief justice, elected to eight-year terms by the General Assembly. As later set by Act 205 of 1925, it consists of the Chief Justice of Arkansas and six associate justices.[2] The Supreme Court currently operates under Amendment 80 of the Arkansas Constitution. Justices are elected in non-partisan elections to eight-year terms, staggered to make it unlikely the Court would be replaced in a single election.[2] Mid-term Vacancies are filled by gubernatorial appointment.[2]

Each justice has a single vote in deciding the cases argued before the Court.[2]

The Court meets in the Supreme Court Building in Little Rock, Arkansas.

## Membership

[edit]

See also: List of justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court

There are currently seven justices on the Supreme Court: Chief Justice Dan Kemp and six associate justices.

Position  | Name  | Born  | Joined  | Term ends  | Appointed by  | Law school

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1  | John Dan Kemp, Chief Justice |  (1951-09-08) September 8, 1951 (age 72) | January 1, 2017 | 2024  | —[a] | Arkansas
3  | Courtney Rae Hudson | 1973 (age 50-51)  | January 1, 2011 | 2026  | —[a] | Arkansas
6  | Karen R. Baker | 1963 (age 60-61)  | January 1, 2011 | 2030  | —[a] | UA Little Rock
7  | Rhonda K. Wood |  (1969-12-10) December 10, 1969 (age 54) | January 1, 2015 | 2030  | —[a] | UA Little Rock
5  | Shawn Womack |  (1972-08-13) August 13, 1972 (age 51) | January 1, 2017 | 2032  | —[a] | Arkansas
4  | Barbara Womack Webb | 1956 or 1957 (age 66–67)  | January 1, 2021 | 2028  | —[a] | Arkansas
2  | J. Cody Hiland | 1972 (age 51-52)  | July 3, 2023 | 2024  | Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R)  | UA Little Rock

1. ^ a b c d e f Took office after being elected in a nonpartisan election.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Distinguishing the Righteous from the Roguish: The Arkansas Supreme Court, 1836–1874 by J. W. Looney, 2016, University of Arkansas Press

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hempstead, Samuel H. (1856). Hempstead's Reports. p. iii-iv.
2. ^ a b c d Justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court from the official Arkansas Judiciary website

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Arkansas Supreme Court at Ballotpedia

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* e

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