Concerns increase over judge-elect’s fitness to serve

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – There continue to be concerns over Doug Brimhall taking the bench as the 2nd Judicial District Circuit Judge next year.

The concerns come after Brimhall was arrested in May on a felony charge of aggravated assault. He pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge of harassment in September.

This has led some people to express concerns about Brimhall’s serving the position starting in January.

Casey Kidd of the Family Crisis Center expressed why she wrote a letter to the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission.

“I felt it was my duty to represent our agency and to voice our concerns about the future if Mr. Brimhall is able to take Bench in January,” Kidd said.

Kidd said that Brimhall’s criminal conviction and his future position might impact future victims and that victims of domestic violence or sexual violence may be reluctant to report their cases or may not feel confident in the judicial system if Brimhall presides over those cases.

“We don’t want to see further victimization and it’s just a really big concern that could happen if he does take position as a judge,” Kidd said. “There’s also of concern of what that says about our system and if our true passion is to protect the victim and allow them to really have justice for the crime against them.”

2nd Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Sonia Hagood and the Nadzam Law Firm also sent letters expressing their concerns.

“It’s our time to advocate and I felt like this was the right time for us to stand up and show up for our victims,” Kidd said.

K8 News reached out to Doug Brimhall for a response to the concerns, and he sent the following statement:

“Thank you for reaching out to interview me. For months I have wanted to tell my story, all while reading the narratives of the misinformed, unled, or misguided. While I have wanted to tell my story, I have also wanted to protect my daughter, which is why I agreed to seal my legal team’s response to the filing of the State’s Motion in Limine, which included a detailed years-long timeline of the events leading up to the event.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be interviewed and be fully transparent to the public, however, that would require me to give personal and private details that would not be in my daughter’s best interest.

Therefore, while I appreciate the opportunity to share my side of the story, I will continue to make decisions based on the best interest of my family, and the chance for repair and reconciliation.”

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