LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Craighead County Judge Keith Blackman has been admonished by the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission for imposing a fee on some criminal defendants who changed their pleas.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports (https://bit.ly/Q1JGhO ) that commission director David Sachar says in a letter to Blackman that the judge violated rules on impartiality, fairness and compliance with the law.
Blackman charged a $35 fee to some defendants who changed their pleas from not guilty to guilty. Blackman called the fees a “witness fee” and a “contempt fee.” He told the commission that the fee was intended to prevent people from abusing the legal process.
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Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, https://www.arkansasonline.com
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