AG Rutledge Visits NEA Political Animals, Discusses Solicitor General Post

A new position of Solicitor General inside the Arkansas Attorney General’s office will give the person an opportunity to work on many different issues, AG Leslie Rutledge said Friday.

Rutledge, a Batesville native who is the first Republican and first woman to hold the post, spoke during the monthly meeting of the Northeast Arkansas Political Animals club at the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce office.

The Solicitor General position, similar to one set up in 44 states, would represent the state and handle appeals cases before state and federal courts, handle complex cases and look at other judge’s rulings as part of research, Rutledge told the group.

The federal government currently has a solicitor general, Donald Verrelli.

According to the federal website, the office supervises and conducts government litigation in the United States Supreme Court.

The website noted that nearly all of the litigation goes through the office and handles about two-thirds of the cases that go through the United States Supreme Court each year.

Rutledge said her office currently has 27 attorneys working in the civil division, handling lawsuits against the state as well as a criminal department that handles appeals made by prisoners in state prisons.

Rutledge also spoke about other departments in her office.

She said the Public Protection Division typically receives about 7,000 complaints each year, ranging from people attempting to scam the elderly to consumer alerts.

That number is expected to go up this year, Rutledge said.

Rutledge said a special investigations division, initially set up by her predecessor, Democrat Dustin McDaniel, has been busy dealing with Internet crimes especially those involving child pornography.

Since the program started, at least 50 people have been arrested with 35 convicted of crimes and sentenced to a combined 1,900 years in prison.

A school safety program has also taught nearly 3,800 school and emergency officials about what to do in the aftermath of an emergency, while an education and community engagement program has taught 1,800 people about identity theft and other issues, Rutledge said.

CASES
Rutledge also spoke about several cases working their way through the federal and state courts.

Two of the cases involve same-sex marriage, one in federal court and the other in state court.

Rutledge said the federal case, Jernigan v. Crane, is scheduled to go before oral arguments in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on May 12 in Omaha.

The state case is on hold at the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Rutledge said the case has been fully briefed, but that she asked justices to have a second round of arguments in the case.

“I wanted to give the new justices a chance to hear the arguments and answer questions,” Rutledge said of the request.

There is also a separate case in which three special justices were appointed to decide who hears the original case, Rutledge said.

Rutledge noted her office is also working to defend a lawsuit, challenging a new state law involving the death penalty.

The Arkansas Supreme Court voted 4-3 earlier this year to uphold the state’s lethal injection law. The legislature approved House Bill 1751, which was also signed into law by Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Rutledge said the law would offer protections for companies that provide drugs used in executions.

FEDERAL PUSHBACK
Rutledge also said she has worked on issues to stem an “overreaching federal government,” a major component of her successful bid for office last year.

A series of regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency involving coal are expected to be released in June, Rutledge said.

She said she believes the regulations could cause energy prices to skyrocket, while a proposed Waters of the United States regulation could have an impact on farmers around the state.

Rutledge also fielded a question about being the first woman in the state elected to serve as Attorney General.

She said she is hopeful that her running for office and serving as Attorney General will send a message to young girls as well as young boys that “you can do it.”

Before the speech, the crowd also took time to honor KASU News Director Greg Chance. Chance, who was killed Tuesday night in a car accident, was remembered as a hardworking, dependable journalist who was a fixture at public meetings.

The group’s next meeting is on May 29, when Arkansas House Speaker Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, and State Senate President Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe, will speak. Talk Business & Politics Editor-in-Chief Roby Brock will moderate the discussion.