LITTLE ROCK (AP) –An Arkansas judge has ruled that some TV stations can resume running an out-of-state conservative group’s ad criticizing a state Supreme Court justice seeking re-election, and the ruling comes just hours after another judge blocked other stations from airing it.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Mackie Pierce on Friday denied a request to prevent northwest Arkansas stations, including KFSM-TV and KXNW-TV, from running the Judicial Crisis Network’s ad targeting Justice Courtney Goodson. Pierce was assigned to handle the case after Washington County judge Doug Martin had temporarily blocked the ad and then recused himself following questions about a potential conflict of interest.
Pierce’s ruling came hours after another Pulaski County judge ordered several Little Rock-area stations to stop running the ad through the May 22 non-partisan judicial election. Goodson is being challenged by Appeals Court Judge Kenneth Hixson and state Department of Human Services Chief Counsel David Sterling
Goodson has called the ads false and defamatory.
