The Arkansas Democratic Party has asked the Pulaski Circuit Court to remove former state Rep. Fred Smith from the ballot for the state House from parts of Crittenden and Cross Counties. You’ll recall that the convicted felon filed at the last minute while claiming his record had been expunged. Republican Secretary of State Mark Martin’s office refused to remove Smith when the Democratic Party said he wasn’t eligible. Martin’s office said only a court could decide. Now it will.

Here’s the lawsuit. It names Smith and Martin as defendants. It says Martin shouldn’t have accepted Smith’s filing because he filed a pledge saying he was qualified to serve but didn’t present a certificate demonstrating his felony conviction had been expunged as statute requires. Martin’s refusal to do his duty and block this filing is worth remembering.

Advertisement

Current state Rep. Hudson Hallum is the only other candidate who filed for the seat.

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article Exploding the tax-cut myth Next article Arkansas unemployment rate drops in January