Circuit Judge-Elect Under Investigation in Jonesboro

Special Judge and Prosecutor Appointed

JONESBORO, Ark. – An investigation into Circuit Judge-elect Doug Brimhall is being conducted and the Supreme Court of Arkansas has confirmed it in an order appointing a special judge.

Judge Robert Edwards was assigned to the 2nd Judicial Circuit “to consider any search and/or arrest warrants and to preside over the subsequent case if one is filed in the 2nd Judicial Circuit.” The order was filed on May 14 but first reported by JonesboroRightNow.com‘s Rachel Anderson on Friday. JRN also reported Special Prosecutor Robbie Jones was appointed to handle the case.

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Transparency

This comes after a week of NEA Report making records requests to the City of Jonesboro and the Jonesboro Police Department pertaining to incident report 24-04500, a report that was mysteriously blacked out on the daily activity log released May 6 by JPD to the public. After becoming aware, a reporter submitted several requests for records. JPD incorrectly denied several requests but they later provided the records that were requested, including with the incident report, the 911 call log, and dispatch log.

However, the incident report that was released still obscured most details, including the name of the suspect. City Attorney Carol Duncan supported JPD in their refusal to release the suspect’s name.

“No one is trying to protect the accused in this matter,” Duncan wrote in an email. “I believe those in positions of power should be held to the highest standard.  This is 100% about protecting the child as best we can, and as we are required to do by law.”

According to the incident report, a suspect allegedly attacked a victim between May 3 and May 4 at a location in Jonesboro in a manner that would potentially constitute felony aggravated assault on a family or household member and third degree endangering the welfare of a minor. The report describes the injury type to the alleged victim as “minor” but the department masked the injury description. A white 40-year old male suspect, 5’10” with green eyes and brown hair, is listed in the report.

The dispatch log, which police initially refused to release, reveals more. It states that the dispatcher was told a female juvenile was assaulted by her father on May 3. The dispatcher wrote that the step mother brought the juvenile to the ex-mother in laws to stay over night. The ex-mother in law is a mandated reporter and the incident was already reported to DHS.

On May 7, Brimhall resigned from his position as deputy prosecuting attorney, Prosecutor Sonia F. Hagood confirmed. However, Hagood did not divulge any other details.

NEA Report reached out to Brimhall on Friday, May 17, to request comment. He said he was unable to provide a statement due to the current investigation. He referred this reporter to his attorneys, Ray Nickle and Bill Stanley. Stanley responded to a message saying he had not yet spoken to the special prosecutor and thus, “we have no comment at this time.”

Brimhall won his election against Curtis Walker Jr. for Circuit Judge, District 2, Division 4 in March. It includes the counties of Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Greene, Mississippi and Poinsett.