LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) A special judge presiding over four hot-check cases in Sherwood has dismissed one of them and also declined to recuse himself in connection with a comment he recently made in which he wished a related federal lawsuit would fail.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that North Little Rock District Judge Jim Hamilton dismissed 40-year-old Nikki Petree’s case on Monday because she paid restitution.
Hamilton was assigned the cases after Petree and the other defendants sued Sherwood District Judge Milas Hale III and others in federal court, alleging the prosecution and District Court oversight of their cases cultivated a “debtors prison” that infringes on their civil rights. The defendants in that suit have disputed most of the claims.
Attorney Reggie Koch said Hamilton said in court he believed the federal lawsuit lacked merit. Hamilton said he doesn’t recall that, but didn’t dispute Koch.
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