LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A former Arkansas official responsible for overseeing the state’s bar examination records is facing 65 felony charges in connection with alleged tampering of exam scores over a five-year period, according to an Arkansas State Police investigation.
Nancie Givens, the former executive director of the Arkansas Supreme Court’s Office of Professional Programs, was arrested after the Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones announced the charges Thursday. Givens faces 65 counts of tampering with a public record, each classified as a Class C felony. The allegations include altering scores and destroying related records, Jones said in a statement.
An investigation revealed evidence that exam scores were manipulated by transferring points from some test-takers to others, sometimes raising a candidate’s score to or above the minimum passing mark of 270. The findings, detailed in a joint statement from six justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court, indicate that irregularities spanned at least eight test cycles between July 2020 and July 2025.
The justices also disclosed that, in at least one instance, changes to scores may have turned a passing grade into a failing one. In another case, score tampering reportedly caused one candidate’s score to drop, altering who was recognized as the top performer.
Most examinees who were initially informed they had passed did achieve passing marks, the justices said. However, the statement did not specify how many individuals may have received passing scores in error or if any had gone on to practice law in Arkansas. The Office of Professional Conduct is currently reviewing cases and will contact affected examinees once their results are confirmed.
Givens resigned from her role in February. Her successor, Robert Brech, discovered in January that approximately 11,400 files had been deleted or rendered inaccessible. Among these missing files were bar applications, candidate profiles, and official score sheets, all of which were required to be retained for 25 years.
Arkansas State Police, in collaboration with the FBI, launched a criminal inquiry in April after the Supreme Court referred its findings to both state and federal authorities. The court has implemented updated testing and security protocols starting with the February 2026 exam.
Givens pleaded not guilty to all charges during a Wednesday appearance in Little Rock District Court, according to reporting by Reuters. Separately, the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct issued an interim order Thursday suspending her license to practice law within the state.
Authorities have emphasized that all suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.