Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — May 1, 2025 — Second District Circuit Judge Doug Brimhall filed a petition Thursday to appeal the decision to place him on the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Registry, court documents say.
The petition alleges the decision, made by the Arkansas Department of Human Services Office of Appeals and Hearings, to place him on the registry was “arbitrary and capricious and not based on applicable Arkansas law.” It also alleges that the decision violated the Arkansas Administrative Procedures Act.
The act defines the basic framework of administrative procedures in Arkansas. It outlines procedures for rulemaking, including notice of proposed rulemaking, public comment periods and final adoption of rules by an agency head.
The designation comes from a May 2024 incident at his home in which he was arrested for aggravated assault on a family or household member. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of harassment in September 2024 and received one year of suspended imposition of sentence.
Brimhall was sworn into office on Jan. 1, 2025, despite pleading guilty to the misdemeanor charge. He is on the bench over the objections of prosecuting attorney Sonia Hagood.
In September 2024, Hagood sent a letter to Circuit Judge Pam Honeycutt and copied other circuit judges in the Second Judicial District, questioning whether or not Brimhall was fit to serve.
Brimhall is represented by attorney Bill Stanley with Stanley & Woodard, PLC. In the court documents, Stanley requests that the decision be stayed pending review.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services Office of Appeals and Hearings has 30 days to respond.