The Arkansas Supreme Court today declined to rehear its decision dismissing Valerie Bailey’s appeal of a lower court ruling that found her ineligible to run for circuit judge this year against Tim Fox. The court ruled last week that Bailey had not acted expeditiously enough in challenging the ruling, though it indicated she’d have qualified for the ballot under other interpretations it issued last week on ballot qualifications.
Bailey was struck from the ballot because she didn’t have six years of active law practice before seeking office, a constitutional requirement. A circuit judge ruled she didn’t qualify because, though she held a law license, she had not paid dues or performed annual legal education because she had voluntarily let her license go into suspension while she tended to home duties. She contended the license was enough to qualify, suspension or no, and the Supreme Court indicated as much in dismissing other cases challenging judicial candidates whose licenses had been suspended for short periods on account of failure to pay annual bar licensing fees.
As is customary, the court denied the petition for rehearing without comment. Three special justices — Raymond Abramson, Woody Bassett and Todd Turner — sat for justices who didn’t participate. They were Courtney Goodson, Paul Danielson and Karen Baker.