Retired Judge Accused of Assault, 10 Year Restraining Order Granted Against Him

PARAGOULD, Ark. — A recently retired judge faced accusations that he assaulted his sister, and a special judge granted a restraining order for a period of ten years.

Retired Judge Dan Stidham was the subject of an order of protection petition filed by his sister, Tammy May Stidham. A 10-year restraining order was approved by a special judge in Greene County Circuit Court.

The restraining order was entered in place of a Final Order of Protection on March 27. There were 12 judges to recuse from the case before Special Judge Kathleen Bell was appointed.

NEA Report obtained a police report through FOIA from the Paragould Police Department that details the alleged physical encounter. As of this report, no criminal charges have been filed.

Police Report

According to the PPD report, an officer responded at about 9:13 p.m. on Feb. 24 for a possible assault.

Tammy May, age 60, told police she had been involved in a family-related altercation with her brother, Dan Stidham, at their father’s house. May said the retired 62-year-old judge shoved her two or three times while yelling, “Get the fuck out of here,” grabbed her by the jacket and arm, and shoved her out of the garage door. She said their father, age 85, got between them before she alleged Dan grabbed her by the face.

The officer reported no apparent injuries or bruising, though May had red patches on her upper arms and face. According to the report, May said the marks could have been caused by the shirt she was wearing or by being upset. Photos were taken.

May told police she did not believe she needed medical treatment. She also said Ring cameras were on the property, but the Wi-Fi had been disabled, so video was not immediately available. The officer advised her on how to seek an order of protection and on warrant procedures. No charges were pursued by police at the time of the report, and the case was marked as closed.

NEA Report also obtained the affidavit in support of the filing from the Greene County Circuit Clerk’s office.

Affidavit

In her affidavit, Tammy May alleged that on Feb. 24, 2026, she went to a Paragould residence at her father’s request to remove personal belongings when her brother, Dan Stidham, entered the home and assaulted her.

May alleged that Dan Stidham grabbed her by the jacket, swung her around while yelling at her to leave, and shoved her through a glass door leading to the garage. She further alleged that after that, he grabbed and squeezed her face until their father stepped between them and told him to stop.

In the filing, May said she feared imminent physical harm during the encounter and that the force used against her caused pain in her arm and shoulder, aggravating a prior shoulder injury.

May also stated that on Feb. 26, 2026, she was able to retrieve Ring camera footage from the residence. In the affidavit, she alleged the recovered footage showed Dan Stidham possessed a handgun during the incident and appeared to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

The filing further alleged Stidham had a history of substance abuse, had handled firearms in a dangerous and unstable manner while under the influence, “including waving firearms around and placing them against his own head.”

She argued that he posed a credible and ongoing threat of serious harm to her. Based on those allegations, May asked the court to grant an immediate order of protection.

In his response to the court, Dan Stidham denied “each and every allegation found in the Petitioner’s Petition.”

Court

After the filing, 12 judges automatically assigned to the case recused. The Supreme Court of Arkansas assigned Kathleen Bell, retired circuit judge, to the case – DR-2026-67.

The order states that on March 27, the Petition for Order of Protection is to be heard. Tammy May appeared through her attorney, Teresa Franklin of Legal Aid of Arkansas. Dan appeared through his attorney, Zach Morrison.

The court ordered that Dan Stidham have no contact with Tammy May, directly or indirectly, for a period of 10 years. He may not send her emails, make calls, text messages, or send communications through a third party.

The respondent is also restrained from going to the petitioner’s residence for the duration of the order.

The order is enforceable by the court’s contempt powers.

See More: Standing Restraining Order

NEA Report attempted to reach Dan Stidham for comment but was unable to do so prior to the publication of this story. Later, we received a statement from Stidham:

Stan at NEA Report.
I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your publication.
Your assertion that you reached out to me for comment before publication is less than honest. I now see that while you did reach out to me via Facebook, it was at 2:45 this morning, four hours before publication and at a time when any normal person would be asleep. *(see note below)

First, the allegations made by my sister are categorically false. They are the product of retaliation stemming from my prior decision to have another family member involuntarily committed for serious mental health and substance abuse issues. That decision was not made lightly—it followed careful consideration, consultation, and sincere concern for her wellbeing. I unequivocally deny any claim that I physically assaulted my sister or engaged in any of the conduct she has publicly alleged.

Second, your reporting materially mischaracterizes what occurred in court. There was no hearing. No testimony was taken. No evidence was presented. Most importantly, there was no judicial finding—of any kind—that I committed domestic abuse. Contrary to your headline, no “Final Order of Protection” was entered.

To the contrary, the order entered by the Court explicitly states: “This Order is being entered in place of a Final Order of Protection.” It reflects nothing more than a mutual, agreed no-contact arrangement between two adults—one that formalized a reality that has existed for more than a decade, as I have had no meaningful contact with my sister during that time.

Third, the broader context cannot be ignored. I recently concluded a highly contentious divorce. In the wake of that proceeding, my former spouse has aligned herself with my sister—someone with whom I have had no relationship for over ten years. Their recent public association, including social media activity, coinciding with the timing of these allegations and court proceedings, raises obvious questions regarding motive and coordination.

Equally telling is what did not happen: I was not arrested and no criminal charges were filed against me by any prosecuting attorney.
I retired in December 2025 after 25 years of service as a judge in this community. I have devoted my career to upholding the law with integrity and fairness, and I am now enjoying a quieter private life.

It is deeply unfortunate that I am forced to address this painful family matter publicly. I had hoped to shield my children and grandchildren from this kind of exposure. However, my sister’s pattern of erratic, inflammatory, and increasingly public behavior has made that impossible. For years—through both direct interactions and public outbursts—she has created unnecessary turmoil within our family. This long-standing history is precisely why I have avoided contact with her for over a decade.

The only recent interaction occurred when I intervened to protect my elderly, recently widowed father from her abusive conduct. At no point did I engage in any behavior remotely resembling what she now alleges.

The convergence of deeply personal events—my mother’s passing and the conclusion of my divorce—has created an opportunity for these unfounded attacks. I will not passively accept the damage being done to my name and reputation. Accordingly, I intend to pursue all appropriate legal remedies, including claims for defamation and libel against the responsible parties.

While I continue to pray for those involved, I will no longer remain silent in the face of false and damaging accusations.

Dan Stidham stepped down as State District Judge of the 17th Judicial District of Arkansas at the end of 2025. Before becoming a judge, Stidham was known for representing Jessie Misskelley Jr. in the West Memphis Three case.

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*(Note: We did attempt to contact Stidham the day before at a number he has previously responded to this reporter at. We also sent him a second message early Friday on Facebook while preparing this publication.

We will correct any factual errors in our reporting below.)

Correction: An earlier version of this report incorrectly stated that a hearing was held, and incorrectly referred to the 10-year restraining order as a 10-year order of protection. We regret the errors.