LR legal expenses for panel up 3-fold

Part of rise tied to Starks appeal

Little Rock nearly tripled its allotment for legal counsel to represent itself before its Civil Service Commission in 2019, largely because of the appeal hearing of recently reinstated police officer Charles Starks.

The city initially contracted with the Friday, Eldredge & Clark law firm for $45,000 to provide representation, a contract that is usually amended.

The Little Rock Board of Directors signed off on the contract amendment increasing the allotted amount to $130,000 at its regular meeting Tuesday evening. The resolution states that there was an unexpected increase in Civil Service Commission appeals.

Officials said Starks’ hearing was a large part of the increase. Starks was fired in May, accused of violating police procedure by stepping in front of the moving car during the fatal shooting of Little Rock resident Bradley Blackshire during a traffic stop.

After a 15-hour, two-day hearing, the Civil Service Commission upheld Starks’ termination. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox later overturned Starks’ firing and ruled that Starks should instead be suspended for a

month with his pay reduced to rookie wages.

“The hearing itself lasted longer than most of them do, and the discovery in the matter was quite extensive,” City Attorney Tom Carpenter told the board last week.

Stephanie Jackson, communications director for Mayor Frank Scott Jr., said Tuesday that there were several other Civil Service Commission cases that required more resources, as well, and contributed to the increase.

Jackson said the money paid to the firm still came from the budget for the Human Resources Department and not from another line item.

The $130,000 figure is the highest sum the city has paid for legal counsel before the Civil Service Commission since at least 2014, though costs have increased since that year.

The city paid $44,685 in 2014, $45,468 in 2015, $44,293 in 2016, $96,142 in 2017 and $70,399 in 2018.

Separately, a debate continues over whether the city will pay Starks’ legal expenses, in addition to its own expenses.

Starks is back at work at the Little Rock Police Department, and his attorneys have argued that he is owed $34,452 in legal expenses, as well as $28,178 in back pay and other expenses.