JEFFERSON CITY, Ark. — A circuit judge has temporarily halted a recent ruling involving the approval of legal payments by Jefferson County’s Quorum Court. The decision affects a directive issued by special County Judge Efrem Neely Sr., which called for Judge Gerald Robinson to finalize payments for legal services provided by the county.
Neely’s ruling on July 29 required County Clerk Shawndra Taggart to gather and present all pending invoices from the Paragould law firm Branch Thompson Warmath Dale & Butler for his signature. However, one day later, North Little Rock Attorney Casey Castleberry, representing Robinson, challenged this decision in a letter to Neely, who was appointed to oversee the case by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
In his ruling, Neely stated that the Quorum Court had the authority to retain legal counsel and that funds had been set aside for this purpose. Castleberry contended that the circuit court’s order regarding county funds should be viewed as an appeal bond, necessitating a hold on any payments until a final decision is reached.
Castleberry successfully argued that Neely’s role was strictly limited to overseeing the case itself, thus excluding him from the responsibility of directing payments for legal services.
On August 1, Judge Rob Wyatt of the 11th West Circuit issued an order pausing all activities stemming from the July 1 hearing held in the Quorum Court meeting space. The judge instructed Taggart to refrain from processing any payments, mandating that previously issued payments be returned to the circuit court’s registry.
Taggart declined to provide comments, and attempts to reach Attorney Kimberly Dale from Branch & Thompson were unreturned. Dale previously filed a claim in county court regarding the unpaid legal fees.
Judge Randy Wright had previously ruled in favor of Robinson on January 6 regarding the legitimacy of certain court meetings that lacked an active ordinance governing procedural rules, questioning the actions of all 13 justices.
In July 2023, Robinson filed a petition seeking a mandate and declaratory judgment against both the Quorum Court and eight individual justices of the peace, particularly focusing on the invoices submitted by Dale.
Robinson’s subsequent appeal, termed de novo, led to Wyatt’s declaration that any prior orders from the county court were effectively null and void. Castleberry noted that with the case moving to circuit court, the proceedings are reset, providing an opportunity for possible new discovery motions or dismissals.
As the case develops, Castleberry expressed confidence in presenting arguments to clarify the county’s obligations regarding the payments in question.
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