Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – October 6, 2024 – In a letter sent to 2nd Judicial District Administrative Judge Pam Honeycutt, and copied to other circuit judges in the 2nd Judicial District and others, Prosecuting Attorney Sonia F. Hagood questions whether or not circuit judge-elect Doug Brimhall is fit to serve.
The letter (sent Friday) was forwarded to JonesboroRightNow anonymously.
Brimhall was a deputy prosecuting attorney in Hagood’s office before he resigned in early May. His resignation came immediately after he was involved in alleged family violence May 3, 2024. Brimhall pleaded guilty on September 18, 2024, to reduced criminal charges connected to the May 3 events. He received a one-year suspended sentence among other conditions.
In the letter, Hagood says, “I feel a profound responsibility to advocate for the victims we represent and uphold the integrity of the judicial system….The victims we serve, as well as the defendants we prosecute, deserve a fair and impartial judiciary. Mr. Brimhall’s conduct raises significant concerns regarding his ability to fulfill these expectations.”
“Given Mr. Brimhall’s criminal conduct and his actions since May 3, 2024, I have no confidence he can provide the citizens of this judicial district even the appearance of a fair and impartial judge,” Hagood wrote. “We are a self-regulating profession; failing to address wrongdoing undermines the very principles of justice we are sworn to uphold. In my opinion, to stay silent on this issue is to be complicit in his conduct….I pray the Court will consider the impact Mr. Brimhall’s actions have on the 2nd Judicial District.”
In a media statement following Brimhall’s adjudication on September 18, Bill Stanley, one of his attorneys, said “Mr. Brimhall looks forward to taking the bench and fulfilling his obligations and responsibilities that this community elected him to fulfill.”
We invited Hagood and Stanley to add any additional comments for this story but did not receive a response to our request.
