Opinion ID: 2003507
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Motion for Trial Judge to Recuse

Text: For his third point, Appellant argues that it was error for the trial judge to refuse to recuse himself from Appellant's case. During the proceedings below, Appellant initially contended that the trial judge should disqualify himself because Appellant had expressed an interest in running for circuit judge in 2002, either for the position occupied by the trial judge or for that position occupied by the trial judge's wife. He later abandoned these claims and, instead, argued that the trial judge should recuse because Appellant was a sitting judge in the same county. Appellant voiced his concern that the tremendous amount of pretrial publicity had put an impossible burden on the trial judge to make sure that Appellant was treated like any other criminal defendant, and this burden would, in turn, have the effect of tipping the scales of justice against Appellant. There is no merit to this argument. A trial judge has a duty not to recuse from a case where no prejudice exists. Worth v. Benton County Cir. Court, 351 Ark. 149, 89 S.W.3d 891 (2002). Thus, if there is no valid reason for the judge to disqualify himself or herself, he or she has a duty to remain on a case. Id. There is a presumption that judges are impartial. Irvin v. State, 345 Ark. 541, 49 S.W.3d 635 (2001); Davis v. State, 345 Ark. 161, 44 S.W.3d 726 (2001); Judicial Discipline & Disab. Comm'n v. Thompson, 341 Ark. 253, 16 S.W.3d 212 (2000); Turner v. State, 325 Ark. 237, 926 S.W.2d 843 (1996). The person seeking disqualification bears the burden of proving otherwise. Thompson, 341 Ark. 253, 16 S.W.3d 212; Turner, 325 Ark. 237, 926 S.W.2d 843. The trial judge's decision not to recuse from a case is a discretionary one and will not be reversed on appeal absent an abuse of that discretion. Irvin, 345 Ark. 541, 49 S.W.3d 635; Davis, 345 Ark. 161, 44 S.W.3d 726. An abuse of discretion can be shown by proving bias or prejudice on the part of the trial judge. Id. To decide whether there has been an abuse of discretion, this court reviews the record to determine if prejudice or bias was exhibited. Irvin, 345 Ark. 541, 49 S.W.3d 635; Echols v. State, 344 Ark. 513, 42 S.W.3d 467 (2001). It is the appellant's burden to demonstrate such bias or prejudice. Id. In the present case, the trial judge denied Appellant's motion to recuse. The judge found that there was no basis for recusal and that there was no evidence in the record that the judge and Appellant had ever been political opponents or rivals. The judge found further that there was nothing in the record to show that he and Appellant had ever spoken a harsh word to one another. On appeal, Appellant does not take issue with the factual basis for the judge's decision to remain on the case. Nor does he claim that the trial judge was actually biased or prejudiced against him during the course of the proceedings. Instead, he argues that for a judge to hear a case regarding another judge, when both preside in the same county, impairs the impartiality owed to Appellant in this case. Thus, as the State points out, Appellant appears to be inviting us to announce a per se rule that a judge must recuse from any case in which another judge in the same county is a criminal defendant. We decline this invitation, and we affirm the trial court's ruling, as it is correct under our case law.