Boone County Narrows Down Choices for Temporary Judge

HARRISON, AR. - Boone County officials recently met to decide who will temporarily fill the open judge position. Former Judge Robert Hathaway stepped down after facing criminal charges related to how county money was used. After a private meeting, called an "executive session," four candidates were announced for interviews.

This temporary judge will serve until December 31st of this year, when Judge-elect Tyler Gentry will officially take over. The county received 14 applications for the job.

The applicants' names were shared publicly before the officials went into their private discussion.

After about an hour, Justice Sullins announced the four people who would be interviewed: Robert Largent, Mitchell Archer, Mike Moore, and Ivy Day. The county's Quorum Court, is expected to choose the interim judge after these interviews.

Each finalist brings different experiences:

• Robert Largent - Led the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce for several years. He hopes to bring accountability to Boone County.
• Mitchell Archer - Has strong family ties to the area and worked for the Arkansas Department of Transportation for 35 years. He also served on a local school board.
• Mike Moore - Previously served as Boone County Judge for six years and has extensive experience with the county's budget.
• Ivy Day - Currently works as an administrative assistant for the Boone County Judge.

During the meeting, an applicant named Paul Bode questioned Justice Sullins about explaining the selection process to the public. Sullins responded that the committee doesn't have to explain its choices, especially after private discussions. He added that if the public disagrees with decisions, they can express it through voting.

Interviews with the four candidates were held in another private session on Thursday evening, where the final decision is expected to be made.