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Paul Danielson
Paul Danielson was an associate justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court. He was elected to his first term on the court in a special election in 2006.[1] He was re-elected in 2008, and his eight-year term expired on December 31, 2016.[1][2][3][4] On May 26, 2015, Danielson announced he would not be seeking re-election and would retire from the bench at the end of the term.[5]
Shawn Womack, a circuit judge in the 14th judicial district and a former Republican state legislator, was elected on March 1, 2016, to fill Danielson's seat.[6]
Education
Danielson received his undergraduate degree from Florida State University in 1968 and his J.D. with honors from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1975.[3]
Career
Danielson began his career as a law clerk to Associate Justice Frank Holt of the Arkansas Supreme Court. He then served as a Booneville City attorney. Afterward, Danielson worked as an attorney in private practice for 18 years. He also previously served as the deputy processing attorney for the 6th and 15th Judicial Districts and served for 12 years on the bench as a circuit judge for the 15th Judicial Circuit. He also served as an instructor at the University of Arkansas School of Law.[3]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2002-2003: Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, Outstanding Trial Judge of the Year for Arkansas
Associations
- Member, Arkansas Judicial Council
- Fellow, Arkansas Bar Foundation
- Past chairman, Supreme Court Liaison Committee
- Member, Arkansas Judicial Council
- Member, Arkansas Bar Association Liaison Committee
- Member, Legislative Liaison Committee
- Chair, Committee on the Pilot Program for Electronic Filing of Briefs in the Appellate Courts
- Chair, Exploratory Committee on the Pilot Program for Appellate Mediation[7]
Elections
2008
Danielson was elected to a full term on the Arkansas Supreme Court in 2008 after running unopposed.[8]
2006
| Arkansas Supreme Court, Associate Justice, Position 5 2006 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
Paul Danielson 
|
177,406 | 57.2% | ||
| Wendell Griffen | 132,789 | 42.8% | ||
- Click here for 2006 General Election Results from the Arkansas Secretary of State.
Political ideology
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.
Danielson received a campaign finance score of -0.45, indicating a liberal ideological leaning. This was less liberal than the average score of -0.48 that justices received in Arkansas.
The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.[9]
Financial disclosure
A 2013 study by the Center for Public Integrity on financial disclosure requirements for state supreme court justices found that, in a 2012 case, Danielson wrote an opinion in favor of XTO Energy, a natural gas company from which his wife earned between $1,001 and $12,499 in 2012. Danielson said that his wife earned the income in the form of gas and oil royalties tied to land she inherited from her family, adding, "It certainly wasn't going to affect my decision."[10]
Arkansas earned an "F" in the study.[10]
See also
External links
- Arkansas Judiciary, "Arkansas Supreme Court"
- Arkansas Judiciary, "Associate Justice Paul E. Danielson, Position 5"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arkansas News, "Danielson won't seek re-election to state Supreme Court," May 26, 2015
- ↑ National Center For State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Arkansas," accessed May 27, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Arkansas Judiciary, "Associate Justice Paul E. Danielson, Position 5," accessed May 27, 2015
- ↑ The Baxter Bulletin, "Womack seeks seat on Ark. Supreme Court," May 26, 2015
- ↑ Arkansas Online, "High court's Danielson to retire," May 27, 2015
- ↑ Harrison Daily Times, "Little Rock attorney files for State Supreme Court," November 11, 2015
- ↑ Justice Danielson Official website
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2008 General Election Results," accessed May 27, 2015
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Center for Public Integrity, "State supreme court judges reveal scant financial information," December 4, 2013
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 • Arkansas City Courts
State resources:
Courts in Arkansas • Arkansas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arkansas
