Deputy Prosecutor Resigns After Bar Arrest In Fort Smith

A Sebastian County deputy prosecutor resigned Monday after being arrested over the weekend at the Electric Cowboy bar in Fort Smith.

Earl Garrett, 33, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of public intoxication. He was later booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center and released the same day on $200 bond, according to the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office.

A manager for the bar told police Garrett was asked to leave after employees noticed he was intoxicated. Instead of leaving, Garrett flashed his 12th Judicial District badge, trying to get back into the bar, according to an arrest report from the Fort Smith Police Department.

“This gentleman worked for the prosecutor’s office,” Cpl. Patricia Sullivan with Fort Smith Police, said. “He had a badge on his possession. It was alleged that he tried to use that badge to get back into the club.”

Public officials should not abuse their power to gain special treatment, Sullivan said.

“We’re held to a higher standard as well as we should be,” Sullivan explained.

County Prosecutor Daniel Shue told 5NEWS Garrett resigned, and the prosecutor’s office has nothing more to say on the case. The case is being handled by the Fort Smith City Prosecutor’s Office.