Judge’s demonstration sparks impeachment rules work

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas lawmakers are working on impeachment rules in the wake of calls to remove a judge who participated in an anti-death penalty demonstration after issuing an order blocking executions.

House Speaker Jeremy Gillam said Tuesday there are no plans in place to try to impeach Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen. But the lawmaker says a procedure needs to be in place if any future situation were to arise, and could possibly never be used.

“We were asked what would the process and procedure be, and we didn’t have one,” Gillam said. “That’s a deficiency on our part and in our rules that we need to correct.”

The proposed impeachment rules passed a House Rules Committee on Tuesday. The plan is expected to go before the full House today.

Griffen issued a temporary restraining order on April 14 blocking the use of a lethal injection drug after a medical company said it wasn’t sold for executions.

Later that day, Griffen lay on a cot outside the governor’s mansion wearing an anti-death penalty button, surrounded by people holding signs opposing the death penalty. Griffen’s order was lifted two days later, and he was removed from the case by the state Supreme Court.

Republican Sen. Trent Garner called for Griffen’s impeachment in a statement Monday, saying he “selfishly disregarded his duties as a judge.”

“Making a public statement about a case in which he was still involved reeks of bias,” Garner said.

Griffen asked two disciplinary panels to investigate Arkansas’ attorney general and Supreme Court last week. The judge accuses both of violating ethics rules for barring him from handling capital punishment cases as a result of his demonstration.

Griffen is under investigation by the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission. The commission says it has also opened an investigation into his complaint against the justices.