Jonesboro, AR — Doug Brimhall, Circuit Court Judge-Elect accepted a plea deal in September, dodging jail time and closing the case.
In September, Doug Brimhall accepted a plea deal of guilty to Harassment (Section 5-71-208), a Class A misdemeanor, dodging the charge of aggravated assault on a family or household member which is a Class D felony.
Brimhall was arrested in May after a domestic incident occurred at a home in Sage Meadows Country Club.
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Justice Robert Edwards, the judge presiding over the case sentenced Brimhall to one-year suspended imposition of sentence, ordered him to continue an alcohol/drug rehabilitation program and anger management program as instructed, continue with a program administered by the Arkansas Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program Foundation (JLAP Foundation), complete forty hours of community service before December 31, 2024, prohibited from drinking alcohol to excess, pay a $1,000 fine plus $190 in court costs, and he was to write a letter of apology to the victim by October 1, 2024.
“Mr. Brimhall chose to resolve this matter today by pleading to a misdemeanor charge of harassment and believes it is in the overall best interest of his family. He looks forward to reconciliation of all damaged relationships and further requests that the privacy of his entire family – on both sides of this matter – be respected. Mr. Brimhall looks forward to taking the bench and fulfilling his obligations and responsibilities that this community elected him to fulfill.”
— Bill Stanley, Lawyer for Doug Brimhall
If the sentence were to be removed for any reason Brimhall could face one year in county jail.
Soon after the alleged domestic incident, Brimhall who served as the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney under Sonia Hagood stepped down.
Now, Prosecuting Attorney Hagood has raised questions as to if Brimhall is fit to serve following his guilty plea.
In a letter to Judge Pam Honeycutt, the 2nd judicial district administrative judge Hagood said: “I feel a profound responsibility to advocate for the victims we represent and uphold the integrity of the judicial system….The victims we serve, as well as the defendants we prosecute, deserve a fair and impartial judiciary. Mr. Brimhall’s conduct raises significant concerns regarding his ability to fulfill these expectations… “Given Mr. Brimhall’s criminal conduct and his actions since May 3, 2024, I have no confidence he can provide the citizens of this judicial district even the appearance of a fair and impartial judge,” Hagood wrote. “We are a self-regulating profession; failing to address wrongdoing undermines the very principles of justice we are sworn to uphold. In my opinion, to stay silent on this issue is to be complicit in his conduct….I pray the Court will consider the impact Mr. Brimhall’s actions have on the 2nd Judicial District.”
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Stanley, lawyer for Brimhall responded by saying, “Mr. Brimhall looks forward to taking the bench and fulfilling his obligations and responsibilities that this community elected him to fulfill.”
Brookland News will continue to follow this story.