Judge Barry Sims agrees to recommended 30-day suspension from bench for treatment of public defenders
May 21, 20211:21 pm
The state Judicial Discipline and Discipline Commission has issued a letter of censure and recommendation of suspension of
Circuit Judge Barry Sims for episodes of rude treatment of public defenders in his court.
Sims, who hears cases in Pulaski and Perry Counties, is recommended for a 90-day suspension, with 60 days held in abeyance for a year, but the Arkansas Supreme Court is the final arbiter.
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The letter from
David Sachar, director of the commission, said Sims, a circuit judge since 2003 and previously a district judge, had agreed to the censure and recommendation for suspension rather than contest the allegations. Emily Abbot, the commission’s deputy director, said two “power dynamics” appeared to be at play, treatment of attorneys, particularly women, and criminal defendants. She said there were other complaints about attorney mi