Edwards ineligible for re-election as Greenwood mayor

Sebastian County Circuit Judge J. Michael Fitzhugh ruled Wednesday (Sept. 29) that Greenwood Mayor Kenneth Edwards is not eligible for re-election as mayor.

The ruling was in a civil case filed by former Greenwood Mayor Garry Campbell that challenged Edwards eligibility after Edwards was found guilty of theft of property related to stealing political yard signs from private property. In the Feb. 18, 2009 ruling from Judge Wayland Parker, Edwards also was chastised for initially lying about the incident.

In his ruling, Fitzhugh leaned heavily on Article 5, Section 9 of the Arkansas Constitution that says “No person hereafter convicted of embezzlement of public money, bribery, forgery or other infamous crime, shall be eligible to the General Assembly or capable of holding any office of trust or profit in this State.”

Fitzhugh said court precedent shows that dishonesty is an “infamous crime” and Edwards’ theft of property involves “an element of dishonesty.”

Fitzhugh noted: “Applying the law as set forth in the various opinions of the Arkansas Supreme Court, this Court has no choice other than to find that the crime for which Defendant Edwards was found guilty, Theft of Property, is one involving dishonesty. The Court further finds pursuant to case law that an ‘infamous crime’ is one that involves dishonesty and that a person convicted of an infamous crime is not ‘eligible to … or capable of holding any office … in this State.”

Citing testimony from Sebastian County Election Coordinator Jerry Huff, the ruling also declared that new ballots will not be printed. Instead, votes cast for Edwards will not be counted. Huff said new ballots could cost up to $20,000, and tinkering with electronic voting contained the potential to create other errors. Also, absentee and military ballots are already mailed out.

Sources tell The City Wire that Edwards will soon appeal the ruling to the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Barring a successful appeal by Edwards, Del Gabbard Jr. and Bill McAlister are the two candidates seeking the Greenwood mayoral post.