Judge Brad Karren of Benton County, Arkansas, has been censured by the Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission after a parking lot argument garnered a lot of attention.
It all started over a parking spot. Though the actual spot in question was reserved for Karren, there was ambiguity in the signage that led to someone parking in his spot. The person who did that was the son of Davy Carter, a former Arkansas House of Representatives speaker, who was meeting his parents for dinner nearby. Carter not only witnessed the confrontation — describing Karren as “a very angry man with a gun on his hip and a cane” — but tweeted about it as well.
My son and wife repeatedly apologized to him and my son unsuccessfully tried to explain to him that he thought, per the signs, that after 5:00 pm anyone could park there. They were both met with rabid fury and anger.
— Davy Carter (@DavyCarter) May 2, 2021
The censure letter notes Karren threw his cane “as if to clear his hands” and adopted “an aggressive stance.” Which… isn’t becoming of a judge. As reported by ABA Journal:
The censure letter cited Rule 1.2 of the Arkansas Code of Judicial Conduct that says judges shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.
“The plain language of this rule makes it clear that judges have a duty to conduct themselves with dignity in their personal lives, as well as their official actions on the bench,” the letter said.
“It is not burdensome to expect the judiciary to follow broadly accepted norms of social conduct. This is where you failed.” The case is “about common courtesy and conduct when in a minor confrontation,” the letter stated.
The censure letter also noted mitigating factors:
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The reprimand noted mitigating circumstances that included a heavy workload and “an extremely difficult past many years.” Karren nearly died when he broke his neck in a bike accident about eight years ago. Two years ago, he had triple bypass surgery following a full cardiac arrest. Nine months ago, he had a hip replacement, which required him to use the cane.
Karren has also had multiple death threats while a judge.
And at least Karren is contrite about the whole incident now:
“Without question, I accept full responsibility and public censure today,” Karren said in a statement from Mark Henry, his attorney. “I know that integrity, independence, and impartiality are key prerequisites for an effective and functional judiciary and judicial system.”
Karren has also agreed to remedial measures including attending a class on mindfulness for judges, participaion in professional counseling, reading a report on bullying and sexual harassment in the legal profession, and apologizing to those involved.
You can watch the video of the incident below.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).