LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The single contested race for Arkansas Supreme Court features one candidate who wants to move up from the state Appeals Court and another who says his experience practicing before appeals courts makes him the better candidate.
The race between Appeals Court Judge Robin Wynne and attorney Tim Cullen has drawn attention because of a large TV ad buy in support of Wynne by a nonprofit corporation called Law Enforcement Alliance of America, which attacked Cullen’s 2007 representation of a man convicted of child pornography charges.
Wynne, first elected as an appeals judge in 2010, distanced himself from the ad. A spokeswoman said in a news release that the campaign wasn’t involved in the ad and didn’t know it was coming.
“We had produced our own campaign commercial that began running on the first day of early voting. Our commercial focuses on Judge Wynne’s experience and qualifications. We have run a positive campaign and will continue to do so,” Wynne campaign consultant Linda Napper said.
Judicial candidates don’t appear on the ballot as members of a political party, and the Tuesday nonpartisan election will decide who wins the high office. The candidates are bound by ethical rules, which limit what they can say about issues that may come before the court.
Wynne is in his second term on the Appeals Court and emphasizes his experience on the bench, as a former chief deputy prosecutor and Harvard University graduate.
Cullen’s practice focuses on pursuing appeals for clients.
“I have spent 17 years as an appellate lawyer, which is a perfect fit (for a Supreme Court justice) and I believe I can serve the state well in this role,” Cullen said.
Cullen, of Maumelle, said he’s served as lead counsel on more than 150 appeals, ranging from workers compensation cases to trademark and other business disputes.
“I think that experience is important to the court. … I’ve been in the trenches and handled these cases from the perspective of attorneys and litigants before the court,” he said.
Wynne, who didn’t return phone and email messages Friday, says in campaign materials that he has written more than 130 Appeals Court opinions. Before being elected to the court, he practiced general law in Fordyce and was elected district judge in Dallas County.
Wynne was chief deputy prosecutor for Calhoun, Cleveland and Dallas counties early in his career. He also served as Fordyce city attorney.
The Law Enforcement Alliance of America ran two television ads, one of which attacked Cullen for saying in an appeal filing that the child pornography case constituted a “victimless crime.”
Cullen said the ad is untrue.
“I think it goes without saying that the ad is false,” Cullen said. “I’m disappointed that Judge Wynne said nothing to disavow the ad based on its falsity.”
Cullen and Wynne are running to fill the seat being vacated by Associate Justice Donald Corbin.
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