District Judge seeks new role with Arkansas Court of Appeals
In a press announcement on Monday, Saline County District Judge Stephanie Casady stated her intention to seek out the Court of Appeals position being vacated by Judge Larry Vaught who will be retiring at the end of 2022.
“I am grateful that the voters have elected me three times as their judge,” Casady said. “I have made thousands of decisions that impact the lives of our citizens and their families. I have tried thousands of cases, both civil and criminal, the same types of cases that Judge Vaught presided over before he was elected to the Court of Appeals.”
The position covers Perry, Pulaski and Saline County. The election is set for May 22, 2022.
As the second longest serving judge in the county, Casady was first elected in 2012. She was the first female state court judge in Saline County history and has served as the president of the Arkansas District Judges Council. She has also been recognized by her fellow jurists with an award for outstanding service.
Casady began her career of public service in 2000 with the Office of Chief Counsel for the Arkansas Department of Human Services and later served as a deputy prosecuting attorney for the county. She entered private practice in 2006 and continued her public service as a courtappointed attorney ad-litem for abused and neglected children in Circuit Judge Gary Arnold's court.
“In my work as an attorney for the Department of Human Services, as a deputy prosecutor, as a solo practitioner, and as an attorney ad-litem, I tried cases with an eye toward ensuring my cases withstood scrutiny by a higher court,” Casady said. “I saw the effects that the decisions made by the Court of Appeals had on my cases and my clients. I have known since then that I could make a valuable contribution at this level of the court system.”
Casady added that she has “real world experience” when it comes to making complex and serious decisions and that, “I always do my best to treat everyone before me with the respect, courtesy and decorum we all deserve.”
It is those qualities that Casady said qualifies her for the position. She believes that lawyers and litigants want judges on the Court of Appeals who have tried cases in the courtroom as a litigator and also presided over cases as a judge.
“As I talk to voters throughout the district about this campaign, they uniformly agree that it is important that the person who is elected to this job have the experience and perspective of being a judge,” Casady said. “I promise I will always work hard, always be prepared, and always remember that my decisions effect real people.”
Casady is married to Saline County Circuit Judge Ken Casady. The Casadys, along with their son Kaleb, live in Benton and are members of Benton First United Methodist Church.