LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced a partnership with the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) and the National Agricultural Law Center to host the Agriculture Technology & the Law Summit: Advancing American Agriculture on August 15 and 16 in Little Rock at the Statehouse Convention Center. The two-day educational event will bring together public and private legal experts and agriculture industry representatives to address unique legal and policy questions.

“The agriculture community has a done a great job of adapting with rapidly advancing technology to meet growing consumer demands,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “But as farmers and ranchers have safely and successfully advanced productivity, the regulatory and judicial processes have sometimes thwarted and often stalled the development of new avenues for food production. As the co-chair of the NAAG Agriculture Committee, gathering industry leaders and legal experts is an important step towards a better understanding for agriculture policy, which is the backbone of this country.”

Forums will include discussions with Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson and Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward on topics such as big data, unmanned vehicles, biotechnology, global theft of intellectual properties, pesticide regulation, rural broadband and more. Summit attendees have been approved to receive 12 hours of general Continuing Legal Education credit including 2 hours of Ethic/Professional Education credit in Arkansas. Register here for the Agriculture Technology & the Law Summit.

Says ‘Law clerks are a valuable asset to the State’

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge welcomed a new class of law clerks for the first summer session to the Attorney General’s office. These law students work in various departments assisting with legal research, drafting memos and legal documents and accompanying lawyers at trials, client meetings and hearings.

“The law clerk program exposes students to the fulfilling experience of public service,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Law clerks play a valuable role for the State which this program uses to foster relationships with burgeoning attorneys and provide an opportunity for students to experience a great service-learning environment as they work closely with some of Arkansas’s top attorneys.”

Brad Aldridge, a third-year student at the University of Arkansas School of Law, is clerking in the Criminal Department. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in applied mathematics from Baylor University in 2015. Aldridge is from Little Rock and graduated from Bryant High School in 2011.

Krystina Barner, a second-year student at the University of Arkansas School of Law, is clerking in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. She graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2014 with a double major in political science and criminal justice. Barner is from Little Rock and graduated from Little Rock Central High School in 2010.

Connor Herrold, a third-year student at the University of Arkansas School of Law, is clerking in the Public Protection Department. He graduated from Hendrix College in 2016 with a degree in English Literature. Herrold is from Hot Springs, and graduated from Lakeside High School in 2012.

Julia Stover, a third-year student at the University of Arkansas School of Law, is clerking in the Civil Department. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a double major in criminal justice and sociology in 2016. Stover is from Texarkana, Texas, and graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas in 2013.

Jordan Sumler, a third-year student at the University of Arkansas School of Law, is clerking in the State Agencies Department. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in English in 2015. Sumler is from Cabot and graduated from Cabot High School in 2012.

About Attorney General Leslie Rutledge

Leslie Carol Rutledge is the 56th Attorney General of Arkansas. She is the first woman and first Republican in Arkansas history to be elected to the office. Since taking office, she has begun a Mobile Office program, a Military and Veterans Initiative, a Metal Theft Prevention program and a Cooperative Disability Investigations program. She has led efforts to teach internet safety, combat domestic violence and make the office the top law firm for Arkansans. Rutledge serves as Chairwoman of the Republican Attorneys General Association and Vice Chairwoman of the National Association of Attorneys General Southern Region. She also re-established and co-chairs the National Association of Attorneys General Committee on Agriculture.

A native of Batesville, she is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Rutledge clerked for the Arkansas Court of Appeals, was Deputy Counsel for Gov. Mike Huckabee, served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Lonoke County and subsequently was an Attorney at the Department of Human Services before serving as Counsel at the Republican National Committee. Rutledge and her husband, Boyce, have a home in Pulaski County and a farm in Crittenden County.

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Says, ‘Judges should apply the law as written’

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge led a coalition of seven states in filing an amicus brief in support of Midwest Geriatric Management, LLC arguing that the courts may not unilaterally rewrite and expand Title VII. The brief argues that, because Congress has chosen not to extend Title VII protection to sexual orientation, the courts may not do so on their own.

“It is my duty to protect the separation of powers written in the Constitution,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Judges should apply the law as written by the people’s representatives in Congress and should not add to or ‘creatively apply’ the law because they believe a different law should have been written and applied. Regardless of whether one thinks Congress should extend discrimination protection to sexual orientation, Congress has clearly chosen not to do so dozens of times. We must stand for the rule of law in all cases, not simply the easy ones.”

Arkansas is joined in the amicus brief by Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas.

Says, ‘Emanuel Darrough is now paying for the crimes he committed’

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today announced the conviction of a Pulaski County man on Medicaid fraud charges.

Emanuel Darrough pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud in Pulaski County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to 7 years probation and must pay $11,000 in restitution to the Arkansas Medicaid Program Trust Fund and $250 in fines and court costs.

“Emanuel Darrough is now paying for the crimes he committed by taking advantage of a vital safety net for many Arkansans,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Investigators and attorneys from the Attorney General’s Office will continue to hold those people accountable who take advantage of the Medicaid system and investigate and prosecute these crimes.”

Darrough, 49, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty to one count of Medicaid fraud, a Class B felony, for billing for services not rendered.

An attorney with the Attorney General’s office was sworn in as Special Deputy Prosecuting Attorney by Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley.

To report Medicaid fraud or abuse or neglect in residential care facilities, complete the online form at ArkansasAG.gov, call the Attorney General’s Medicaid fraud hotline at (866) 810-0016 or email oag@arkansasag.gov.

Held more than 300 roundtables with more than 3,200 participants

TEXARKANA – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today held Rutledge Roundtables in Hope, Lewisville and Texarkana to wrap up the fourth consecutive year of holding roundtable discussions in all 75 counties in Arkansas.

“Having face-to-face conversations with Arkansans in their communities has allowed me to hear about the issues being faced each day in all four corners of the State,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Some issues, like the opioid epidemic, are widespread and felt across Arkansas. But other issues are more localized, and it is important for our communities to know that those who represent them in the capital city are listening. We all need to continue to work together to make a difference in our hometowns and State.”

Rutledge has hosted 306 roundtables with more than 3,200 participants since taking office in 2015. She has met with business and government leaders, along with local business owners, farmers, faith leaders, educators and many others to hear their concerns.

Rutledge was inspired to launch Rutledge Roundtables from a lesson she learned during college when she spent her summers in Independence County flagging traffic for the State highway department. Rutledge says, “I noticed there was sometimes a disconnect between people who worked in the office and those on the road. As Attorney General, I do not want there to be that same disconnect between those who work in the capital city and Arkansans who live in communities around our state.”

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Leslie Rutledge released the following statement after the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of Jack Phillips, a Denver baker who was attacked by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission for declining to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

“As the Attorney General, I am proud to have joined this fight in support of Jack Phillips with Masterpiece Cake Shop because an individual’s religious freedom must be preserved and Americans such as Jack must be protected from religious discrimination,” said Rutledge. “Tolerance is a two-way street, and in this case, we found balance. Today’s decision is a big win for religious liberty across the country.”

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission last year. The owner of Masterpiece Cake Shop in Lakewood, CO declined to bake a wedding cake for a local same-sex couple. Owner Jack Phillips indicated to the couple that he would be glad to make a birthday or graduation cake or a cake for any other occasion. But he could not, consistent with his religious views, design and create a cake celebrating a same-sex wedding. Phillips’ refusal to design and create such a cake is consistent with his refusal to create cakes for Halloween or divorcee parties – events that his religious beliefs prevent him from supporting.

Rutledge joined a 20-state coalition in filing an amicus brief with the Court in September, calling on the court to protect the freedom of speech of the baker in Colorado.