AAC


ray and depth of services to our members. Te boards of the AAC and the AAC Risk Management


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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, Lind- sey 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 Compensa- tion 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. Te 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 collabo- ration with Keystone Solutions, Inc. Prior to the program


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RESEARCH CORNER AAC has expanded services to counties


n years past, the capacity of the Association of Arkan- sas Counties (AAC) to assist counties was hampered by significant limitations on our resources. We can now proudly proclaim that the AAC provides an ar-


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 program. Te program allows for courts to conduct certain hear- ings by video technology. Te 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. Te program saves all of the at- tendant 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). Te system reduces risk of liability such as escape or injury. Tirty-two of the 56 AACRMF member coun- ties are online with the Justice Bridge. Other entities, such as district courts and public defenders, may procure Justice Bridge video equipment as well. Te savings annually to our counties is a seven-digit figure. We are working on connecting Justice Bridge with courtroom interpreters. Te Justice Bridge expedites court hearings. It has a positive impact on easing jail overcrowding. Te potential for use and efficiencies is limitless.


Mark Whitmore AAC Chief Counsel


Opioid Litigation: Te 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. Te lawsuit seeks to determine the responsibilities of certain manufacturers and distributors for the opioid epi- demic in Arkansas and to remediate the crisis. Most counties and cities in the United States that sued over the opioid epi- demic 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: Te Arkansas Coroners’ Association in coop- eration with Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency (ARORA) launched a new state reporting system for coro- ners. MDILog reporting software has been purchased and


COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2019


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