AAC
RESEARCH CORNER
AAC has expanded services to counties
I
n years past, the capacity of the Association of Arkansas Counties (AAC) to assist counties was hampered by significant limitations on our resources. We can now proudly proclaim that the AAC provides an array and depth of services to our members. The boards of the AAC and the AAC Risk Management Fund (AACRMF) have provided additional and necessary resources to support increased levels of services. We find it fulfilling to better serve our county officials. Education/Training/Legal Services: AAC staff strives to provide education and training for our county officials and their staff. We have an education coordinator, Karan Skarda, who does an excellent job in facilitating training for seven of our nine county affiliate organizations. We provide easy access to the law through our litany of publications. We strive each week to provide a working understanding and informed guidance on the laws of Arkansas. Our legal staff has grown substantially. We had a single attorney at the AAC in 2002. We now have six attorneys on staff: Brandy McAllister, Lindsey Bailey, Colin Jorgensen, JaNan Davis, Melissa Hollowell and yours truly; four law clerks: Blake Gary, Jessica Fontenot, Adrienne Criswell, Kristina Farmer; and two legal assistants/ paralegals: Johnna Hoffman and Fonda Fitzgerald. We strive to provide legal services and benefits to all of the 75 member counties of the AAC and the AAC Workers Compensation Trust (AACWCT) and the 56 member counties of the AACRMF. Recently, we’ve made major advancements in the creation of technology-based programs. Below are a few of the recent advancements of services to our member counties. Guardian RFID Inmate Tracking System: In 2008, Guardian RFID obtained the endorsement of the National Sheriffs Association for its inmate tracking system. The AACRMF commenced providing this service to our member counties in 2014 and the program now serves 30 AACRMF counties. It’s an extremely useful tool for staff management, litigation management and claims prevention. Jason Owens, AACRMF contract litigation counsel, explains: “RFID data — much like video evidence — is almost unassailable in the courtroom. Also, much like video, RFID data has invaluable utility prior to litigation, both as a constant accountability tool for employees and as a powerful decision-making tool in the pre-litigation claims process.” Justice Bridge Audio-Visual Arraignment: In Fall 2017, AACRMF began a program we call Justice Bridge in collaboration with Keystone Solutions, Inc. Prior to the program 12
counties had to transport state and local prisoners throughout Arkansas (to and from various state prisons to our local courts). AAC and AACRMF board member, Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery, conceived the Mark Whitmore program. The program allows for AAC Chief Counsel courts to conduct certain hearings by video technology. The key is that the Arkansas Department of Corrections (DOC) afforded the AACRMF permission to install suitable video arraignment equipment into the 17 state prisons in Arkansas. Each participating county has video phone equipment allocated to their local jail, circuit courts, prosecutor and sheriff, etc. The program saves all of the attendant costs, labor, overtime in transporting state inmates to and from state prisons to our local courts for hearings (and as well transportation from local jails or other jails to court). The system reduces risk of liability such as escape or injury. Thirty-two of the 56 AACRMF member counties are online with the Justice Bridge. Other entities, such as district courts and public defenders, may procure Justice Bridge video equipment as well. The savings annually to our counties is a seven-digit figure. We are working on connecting Justice Bridge with courtroom interpreters. The Justice Bridge expedites court hearings. It has a positive impact on easing jail overcrowding. The potential for use and efficiencies is limitless. Opioid Litigation: The AAC, the Arkansas Municipal League, counties and cities in Arkansas collaborated to file suit in the Crittenden County Circuit Court in Arkansas over the opioid epidemic. Our litigation will include all 75 counties in Arkansas. The lawsuit seeks to determine the responsibilities of certain manufacturers and distributors for the opioid epidemic in Arkansas and to remediate the crisis. Most counties and cities in the United States that sued over the opioid epidemic have been moved into the multi-jurisdictional litigation in Cleveland, Ohio. However, our litigation is uniquely and well postured to provide the best result for the counties, cities and citizens of Arkansas. AAC extends resources to the opioid litigation. Colin Jorgensen, AAC Litigation Counsel, has an update on the opioid litigation. See pages 23-24. MDILog: The Arkansas Coroners’ Association in cooperation with Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency (ARORA) launched a new state reporting system for coroners. MDILog reporting software has been purchased and COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2019
