Landers v. Stone

LsThe General Assembly has declared that it is the public policy of this state to provide retirement benefits to its judges in order to “attract and retain highly capable members of the legal profession for service in the state judiciary.” Ark. Code Ann. § 24-8-201 (Repl.2014). The forfeiture provisions at issue in this case — Arkansas Code Annotated sections 24-8-215(e) and 24-8-710(b) (Repl.2014) — achieve the exact opposite result. For all practical purposes, they guarantee the departure of the most experienced and seasoned members of the Arkansas judiciary — including, of course, the…