Washington and Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Brandon Carter says his career as a state and federal prosecutor — including nearly 13 years with the U.S. Department of Justice — is the central qualification he brings to the March 3 Arkansas Court of Appeals race.
Appointed to his current role in late 2024 and taking office Jan. 1, 2025, Carter previously served as a deputy prosecutor and as a federal prosecutor handling organized crime and drug-trafficking cases. He said criminal matters make up the largest single category of the Court of Appeals’ docket and argued the court does not currently include a judge with a career prosecutorial background.
Carter also pointed to his regular appellate work before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals while at the DOJ, saying that experience reflects the type of legal review required at the appellate level. He describes himself as a career public servant and says he is running to continue that work on the appellate bench.
“I’ve spent my career seeking justice and applying the law as written — that’s the role of an appellate judge,” Carter said.
To learn more, visit his Facebook page here or brandoncarterforjudge.com
Early voting begins Tuesday, February 17. Election Day is March 3.
Key Topics and Timecodes:
00:00:09 – Introduction and current role as prosecuting attorney and Court of Appeals candidate
00:00:46 – Appointment as prosecutor and public service background
00:01:08 – Early career as deputy prosecutor handling a range of cases
00:01:29 – U.S. Department of Justice experience and federal prosecutions
00:02:18 – Path to law, prior service as an Oklahoma state trooper
00:02:45 – Reasons for running and description of the Court of Appeals’ role
00:03:31 – Argument for a career prosecutor on the appellate court
00:04:59 – Challenges of nonpartisan judicial races for voters and candidates
00:06:31 – How voters can research his prosecutorial record
00:07:16 – Devil’s Den double homicide case and death penalty process
00:10:47 – Federal drug task force work and large methamphetamine case
00:13:25 – Judicial philosophy and textualism; Scalia and Thomas
00:15:20 – “Prosecutor, not politician” campaign message
00:16:22 – Appellate experience before the Eighth Circuit
00:17:29 – Response to criticism of prosecutors’ role
00:19:08 – Contrast with opponent’s background and court experience
00:21:35 – Voter contact and campaign accessibility
00:22:12 – New original jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals and importance of the race
