Panel says District Judge Mark Johnson should have recused

The panel on Friday released its letter to District Judge Mark Johnson of Ash Flat. The panel says Johnson should have recused to avoid the appearance of impropriety. The panel noted that there's no indication the accused received preferential treatment.

The commission also admonished Circuit Judge Barry Sims of Little Rock. The panel took Sims to task for improperly allowing lawyers to pursue testimony from a witness. The letter says Sims admitted making an error and has agreed to attend advanced training to lessen the chance of his making a similar error in the future.

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