An Arkansas judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Tim Griffin against the state’s Board of Corrections, which accused the board of violating the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The decision, issued Thursday by Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox, followed guidance from the state Supreme Court, which recently ordered the case’s dismissal.
Griffin filed the lawsuit in 2023 amid legal disputes over control of Arkansas’ prison system. At the heart of the issue were alleged violations of open-records and open-meetings laws during the board’s hiring of attorney Abtin Mehdizadegan and his firm, Hall Booth Smith, to represent the panel in two separate legal battles. One involved a suit brought by the board against Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders over the constitutional authority to dismiss top corrections officials. Griffin’s lawsuit followed shortly afterward.
The case took a turn in March when the board, now comprised of four new appointees by Sanders, voted 4-3 to settle the lawsuit. That decision led to the dismissal request by Griffin, which Judge Fox granted this week. Griffin emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in a statement following the dismissal.
“Regardless of the parties involved or the issues at stake, transparency and accountability must remain cornerstones of good government,” Griffin said. “The Freedom of Information Act serves an essential role in preserving public confidence in our institutions, and I will continue to defend it whenever necessary.”
The ruling faced opposition from some former and current board members. Lee Watson, a member of the board, and Benny Magness, who chaired the board during the dispute but whose term recently expired, asked the court to allow them to intervene and had opposed the dismissal. In a joint statement, Watson and Magness denied any violations of FOIA laws, arguing that Griffin’s lawsuit lacked merit.
“Despite the terms of the agreement entered over Watson and Magness’s objections, the attorney general’s dismissal of its suit makes it clear that there was no substance to its suit—which was filed immediately following the board’s challenge to the constitutionality of statutes diminishing the board’s authority,” the two said.
The broader legal disagreement remains partially unresolved. A separate lawsuit challenging state laws granting the governor power to dismiss high-ranking corrections officials is ongoing. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Patricia James has issued an injunction blocking those laws for now, and Griffin’s office has asked her to lift the injunction.
The Board of Corrections plays a critical role in overseeing Arkansas’ prison system, and its composition shifted significantly following several appointments by Governor Sanders. The ongoing legal battles highlight the tensions over governance of the state’s corrections system and the balance of power between the governor’s office and the board.