David Laser
David N. Laser was the Division 9 judge of the Second Circuit of Arkansas. He took the bench in 1999 and retired at the end of 2014.[1][2][3]
Education
Laser earned both his undergraduate degree and his J.D. at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.[4]
Career
- 1999-2014: Judge, Second Circuit
- 1968-1998: Attorney, Frierson, Walker, Snellgrove and Laser
- 1966-1968: Attorney in private practice
- 1966: Admitted to the bar[5][2][4]
Awards and associations
- 2002-Present: Judge alternate member, Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission
- Arlap Commission
- Jonesboro School Board
- American Bar Assocation
- Former delegate, Arkansas Bar Association
- Former president, Craighead County Bar Association
- Former president, Arkansas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates[4]
Noteworthy cases
West Memphis Three plea deal
Judge Laser presided over a hearing in which the West Memphis Three, three men convicted of killing three Arkansas boys in 1993, entered Alford pleas - asserting innocence while pleading guilty. Laser accepted the pleas, resulting in a new trial, after which he sentenced each man to about 18 years in prison. This would release them from prison with time already served. Laser also gave them suspended 10-year sentences, which he told the three men that they could serve if they violate the law.[6]
See also
- Arkansas 2nd Judicial Circuit
- Clay County, Arkansas
- Craighead County, Arkansas
- Crittenden County, Arkansas
- Greene County, Arkansas
- Mississippi County, Arkansas
- Poinsett County, Arkansas
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Arkansas Judiciary, "Judges of the Second Circuit"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 LinkedIn, "David Laser"
- ↑ Facebook, "Retirement reception honoring David N. Laser," accessed January 16, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 State of Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission, "Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee 2011 Annual Reports"
- ↑ Martindale profile
- ↑ ArkansasOnline, "Video: Plea reached in West Memphis murders," August 19, 2011
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas
State courts:
Arkansas Supreme Court • Arkansas Court of Appeals • Arkansas Circuit Courts • Arkansas District Courts
State resources:
Courts in Arkansas • Arkansas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arkansas
