Gov. Asa Hutchinson has announced his intent to appoint Christopher Carter of Yellville as state district court judge of the Tenth District. The district is composed of Baxter and Marion counties. Carter is replacing Judge Jason Duffy, who resigned on Oct. 6.Carter says, “I’m extremely honored that the Governor has chosen me for this position. I believe that the 33 years I have practiced law in this area will be of great benefit to the litigants who appear in the district court of Marion and Baxter counties. I would not have been able to get this far in my legal career without the tremendous support of my loving wife of 32 years, Karen.”
Gov. Hutchinson says, “Christopher will make an exceptional judge for the Tenth Judicial District. His distinguished legal background has provided him with experience that will be of great benefit to those in his court. I’m grateful for his willingness to serve. I want to thank Judge Jason Duffy for his service to the people of Arkansas.”
Carter obtained a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. He has served as deputy prosecutor for the 14th Judicial Circuit since 2003. Carter’s term begins next Monday and expires Dec. 31, 2022.
While it seemed to be common knowledge, there was no “official” announcement that District Court Judge Duffy had resigned his position until almost two weeks after he sent a letter to the governor.
Photo: Former District Court Judge Jason Duffy
Letters of resignation go to the governor and a person is then chosen to serve out the remainder of the term.
Duffy’s terms ends Dec. 31, 2024.
KTLO, Classic Hits and the Boot news reached out to the governor’s office on several occasions to obtain information on the resignation with no response.
A Freedom of Information Act request was then sent to Hutchinson’s office.
As a result of that action, a copy of Duffy’s letter of resignation dated Oct. 6 was provided to KTLO Wednesday.
In that letter, Duffy wrote he was stepping down “principally for health reasons.”
A staff member in the governor’s press office pledged to keep KTLO informed as the “appointment process” moves forward.
Members of the local legal community have said they were taken aback by Duffy’s sudden resignation that apparently came with little, if any, warning.
Two candidates have been widely mentioned as potential replacements for Duffy.
The apparent lack of transparency in the process has left many local attorneys upset since there were several who had expressed an interest in the position.
On Oct. 6, the Arkansas Supreme Court appointed Fred Kirkpatrick, a retired district court judge from Harrison, to take Duffy’s place beginning Oct. 6 and ending Sunday.
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