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Battle, candidate for judgeship, speaks at forum |
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Wednesday, 07 May 2008 |
Hayward M. Battle Sr. of Bryant, a candidate for the newly created Division 4 judgeship in Circuit Court District 22, spoke Tuesday night in the second part of Political Forum 2008 at the historic Royal Theatre in Downtown Benton.
Battle, who is in a three-candidate race, could not participate Sunday when his two opponents spoke in the first segment of the forum, which is sponsored by the **Courier and **Courier TV 95. Battle, a minister in the Church of God in Christ, serves two congregations, one in Pine Bluff and one in Little Rock, and arrived at the theater just as the Sunday afternoon event had concluded.
Also seeking the non-partisan position are Robert Herzfeld and Paul White, both Benton attorneys.
Battle, 57, is a fifth-generation Arkansan and a native of Newport, where he graduated from W.F. Branch High School.
He pointed out that his 25 years of legal experience represent more than the combined years his opponents have in the profession.
Calling himself immune to outside influence, he said he represents no special interest groups and would make his decisions without pressure from any individuals or associations.
“Everyone should stand equal before the law,” he said. “The hallmark of my tenure is to rule with fairness and consistency.
Defendants are judged by juries of their peers, Battle noted. “It’s good to have a judge represent all the people.
“I would be beholden only to you, the citizens of Saline County,” he said.
“If I had been a radical, all of you would know who I am,” he added.
In addition to Battle’s private practice, his legal background includes having served as executive secretary of the Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners, commissioner on the Arkansas State Claims Commission, state parole administrator for the Arkansas Department of Correction and assistant attorney general in the Arkansas attorney general’s office.
Since 1994 he has worked as an attorney for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration/Office of Child Support Enforcement, overseeing the office’s legal affairs in Saline, Hot Spring and Grant counties.
He is an Air Force veteran and has served as an adjunct college professor.
He and his wife, Mamie, a retired educator, have been married for 37 years. The couple have four children and six grandchildren.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and a master’s degree in public administration from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. He earned his Juris Doctor degree at University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law.
In 1990 Battle ran for circuit judge in the 5th Judicial District (Pulaski and Perry counties), finishing second in a three-man field. He currently is licensed to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. District Court Eastern/Western District of Arkansas.
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