Grand jury requested to delve into elections
BY AMY UPSHAW AND AUSTIN GELDER
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley asked Pulaski County Circuit Judge John Langston in a letter on Wednesday to impanel a grand jury to investigate "the many well-publicized problems and breakdowns in recent elections in this County."
"Other than a few naysayers in the courthouse with obvious motivations, the citizens I’ve seen, regardless of political persuasion, are universally optimistic this might be the way to solve the problem," Jegley said. "We’ve just got to roll up our sleeves and resolve this."
Langston received the letter at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday but said he could not discuss the potential grand jury. It was unclear Wednesday night whether Langston had signed an order. The judge could decide to decline Jegley’s request. Jegley said he chose Langston because he will be the most senior circuit judge after four of his colleagues retire Jan. 1. In 1993, Langston also presided over the last grand jury to be called in Pulaski County. "I want this process to be efficient and streamlined and I think we can draw on his experience in 1993 to keep it moving," said Jegley, who was one of the prosecutors who presented evidence to grand jurors nearly 10 years ago.
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The grand jury is a seldomused option for Arkansas prosecutors, especially when the panel focuses more on efficiency and operations than on criminal matters. If Langston grants Jegley’s request, the judge likely will select 16 grand jurors, and possibly an alternate, from a pool of jurors collected to hear criminal trials in Langston’s court. The group probably would work as many as three days a week for six to eight hours a day, Jegley said.
"I’m hoping they will get a general feel, which I’m afraid most people don’t have including myself, on how all the components [of the election process] are supposed to converge to have a trouble-free election," Jegley said.
Jegley first announced his intention to pursue a grand jury investigation into election troubles in October when county officials revealed information was missing or inaccurate for nearly half of the registered voters in County-Circuit Clerk Carolyn Staley’s voter-registration database. Problems continued when misprinted ballots had to be reprinted and local races were left off ballots in Jacksonville and North Little Rock.
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Asked whether he was just trying to oust Staley, whom Jegley has often criticized publicly, he said, "Carolyn Staley has enough trouble without me saying more than I’ve already said. I just want her to do her job effectively and efficiently and I don’t think that’s too much to ask."
Staley could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but has said she welcomed a grand jury investigation.
The Quorum Court, which is expected next week to grant $25,000 to fund the special grand jury, is encouraging other measures to fix election troubles. This month, members authorized the creation of a citizens advisory group to study the county’s election process. They also voted to ask the Legislative Audit Division, a state body that investigates government finances and operations, to look into Pulaski County’s voting troubles.
County Judge Buddy Villines told Quorum Court members this week that the Legislative Audit Division declined to review the elections, and that he’d like to wait to seat the advisory board until the grand jury is finished. The Quorum Court is expected to discuss Villines’ suggestion at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday.
This story was published Thursday, Nov. 21, 2002
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