Opinion ID: 2620470
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Arkansas State Proceedings

Text: Simes alleges the following facts.3 Since 1997, Simes has been an elected trial level judge in Phillips County, Arkansas. Voters re-elected him in 2000, 2004, and 2010. Simes’ judicial career did not lead him to renounce his extrajudicial activities as a “successful business man [sic],” notably co-owning a local radio station and producing a CD of religious music (composed and sung by Simes himself). Between 2004 and 2007, more complaints were filed against Simes “than any other judge under the jurisdiction of the Commission.” During this period, the commission sanctioned Simes twice, once “for appearing in his judicial robes on the cover of a CD he produced” and once for “‘making personal solicitations for campaign contributions’ during his 2004 election.” In early 2008, the commission notified Simes the commission would hold probable cause hearings in five of the pending complaints against him. Simes agreed to a letter of reprimand in one of the complaints, based upon his two-month delay in entering an order after having ruled from the bench in a time-sensitive election dispute. See Judicial Discipline & Disability Comm’n, Letter of Reprimand, Case No. 07-259 (2008). The commission dismissed one of the complaints (No. 07-142), and found probable cause for disciplinary hearings on the remaining three complaints (Nos. 06-171, 05-112, and 05-123). The first case to proceed to a disciplinary hearing was number 06-171, referred to by Simes as the “Chandler case.” Proceedings took place in early 2009, and the commission recommended the Arkansas Supreme Court “permanently remove[] [Simes] from his position as Circuit Judge for practicing law and serving as a 3 As this appeal arises from a dismissal on the pleadings, we present these facts on the assumption that the allegations in Simes’ complaint are true. See, e.g., U.S. ex rel. Joshi v. St. Luke’s Hosp., Inc., 441 F.3d 552, 555 (8th Cir. 2006). -3- fiduciary while on the bench.” In Judicial Discipline & Disability Comm’n v. Simes, 354 S.W.3d 72 (Ark. 2009) (Simes I), the Arkansas Supreme Court unanimously agreed with the commission that Simes “created the appearance, in reasonable minds, that [he] was unable to perform his duties with integrity, impartiality, and competence.” Id. at 79; see id. at 85 (Hannah, C.J., concurring and dissenting); id. at 87 (Danielson, J., concurring and dissenting). The Arkansas Supreme Court also found Simes improperly “engaged in the practice of law” and “served as a fiduciary . . . while he was a judge.”4 Id. at 78-79 (majority opinion). Although two justices would have permanently removed Simes from the bench, see id. at 85 (Hannah, C.J., concurring and dissenting), the majority voted to suspend Simes without pay until the end of his term, allowing him to run for re-election and, if re-elected, resume his judicial duties. See id. at 85. The remaining two complaints, numbers 05-112 and 05-123, which both arose from what Simes calls “the Weaver case,” were “merged on November 21, 2008 for a disciplinary hearing.” Hearings on these complaints occurred in 2010, leading to a second recommendation for Simes’ removal based on six violations of Arkansas’ judicial code. The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld two and rejected four of the violations based in part upon procedural irregularities related to other charges that Simes should not have personally overseen proceedings in which he sua sponte sanctioned parties for requesting his recusal. See Simes II, 381 S.W.3d at 772, 774, 779.