New judge to hear case over election dispute

Last month, the Arkansas Supreme Court reversed and remanded Circuit Judge L.T. Simes' dismissal of a Complaint filed by former Rep. Arnell Willis' challenging the results of a 2006 Democratic primary in eastern Arkansas. Willis, of Helena, appeared to have won the June 2006 runoff for Arkansas Senate District 16 when the initial vote count showed him ahead by 28 votes. A recount put Jack Crumbly ahead by 74 votes after an error was discovered by the county election commission surrounding the Forrest City Ward 1 box. A second recount confirmed Crumbly as the winner, and Crumbly served in the Senate for the 2007 legislative session.

Judge Simes has now recused from the case. If all other judges in the judicial district recuse from the case, the issue would then move to the Administrative Office of the Courts, and a special judge could then be appointed to the case by the chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court. Here's the article from today's Forrest City Times-Herald.