‘Rabid fury and anger’: Judge under investigation after row with former Arkansas speaker over taking his parking space
- Arkansas judge became embroiled in an argument with a former House Speaker
- Davy Carter’s son had unknowingly parked in the judge’s reserved parking lot
- An argument ensued during which the judge hurled his cane to the ground
An Arkansas judge is under investigation after he became embroiled in a row with a former state lawmaker whose son accidentally took his parking space.
Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren, 58, was caught on camera having a row with the former Arkansas House Speaker Davy Carter, 46, and at one point angrily hurled his cane to the ground.
The Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission has reviewed the footage and is now probing the judge’s conduct.
The incident happened in Bentonville at just after 7pm on Friday evening, after Carter had met his wife for an early dinner at local restaurant The Hive.
Afterwards, the couple had planned to meet their eldest son for a walk around the square.
Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren, 58, was caught on camera having a row with the former Arkansas House Speaker Davy Carter, 46, and at one point angrily hurled his cane to the ground
The son parked in a downtown parking lot outside Karren’s courthouse, unknowingly in a space reserved for the county judge.
A sign at the lot entrance states ‘Benton County employee parking only, 7 am to 5 pm.’
A sign in front of the spot where Carter’s son parked states, ‘Reserved parking 24/7 violators towed’, according to a report in Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
Former Rep. Carter said that he, his wife and his son repeatedly apologized to Karren and explained that the parking lot had been marked: ‘Reserved 7 am to 5 pm.’
Despite this, an argument ensued in which the enraged judge refused to accept Carter’s apology.
According to Carter, the whole incident lasted three to five minutes, and only the last part of it was filmed.
‘I understand,’ he can be heard on the video telling the judge. ‘I understand. He’s my son.’
‘I don’t care,’ the judge fires back.
The heated argument continues and Karren steps toward Carter and throws his cane to the ground.
At that point, Karren’s bailiff, Kevin Trevathan steps between Carter and Karren.
Defending his son, Carter says: ‘He’s a kid, he did not know.’
The judge replies: ‘He did not know, what did he not know about.’
Carter shared the footage on Twitter after the incident but later deleted it. He slammed the judge as showing ‘insane and rabid behavior’.
‘This is basically how he treated my wife and son in the minutes before. Rabid, insane behavior,’ he wrote.
Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren, 58, pictured left, was caught on camera having a row with the former Arkansas House Speaker Davy Carter, 46, right
‘Unfitting for a good citizen much less a sitting circuit judge. Mr. Karren, you owe my wife and son an apology. You should be embarrassed. You are unfit to be on the bench.’
He added: ‘And you’re lucky I was in a good mood.’
Carter served in the state Legislature from 2009 to 2015 as a Republican from Cabot.
Karren was first elected as administrative judge for Benton County’s seven circuit judges in 2012 and recently began a new six-year term in January.
Karren previously attracted media attention ini 2019 for sentencing a reporter to 10 days in jail, with seven days suspended, for violating his prohibition against recording court proceedings during murder cases.
He overturned the sentence after just a few hours.
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