Arkansas House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, has appointed Attorney Matthew D. Mitchell of Rogers to the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission, Shepherd announced Monday.
Matt will serve as an alternate attorney to Amanda Hurst of Van Buren on the commission, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Andrea Woods of Conway, according to a news release issued by the state House of Representatives. Mitchell's term will expire June 30, 2024.
Matt is a partner with Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, in Rogers and earned his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2013.
The Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission is a state constitutional agency created after voters approved Arkansas Constitutional Amendment 66 in 1988. Since its inception, the Supreme Court has the power to suspend, remove or involuntarily retire or censure judges based on the commission's recommendation. A judge may be publicly disciplined by the commission.
The commission is comprised of nine members who are residents of Arkansas, according to its website. The three judicial members are appointed by the Supreme Court. The three lawyer members are licensed to practice in Arkansas, and one each is appointed by the attorney general, Senate president pro tempore and the House speaker. The three public members, who are neither lawyers nor judges, are appointed by the governor. Alternate members are also selected for each member.