Attorney General Tim Griffin announced on Mar. 25 the arrest of eight individuals in Phillips County on felony charges related to illegal activities during the 2024 primary runoff election for Justice of the Peace District 9.
The arrests highlight ongoing efforts to ensure election security and public integrity in Arkansas. The Arkansas Attorney General’s office engages in initiatives addressing public integrity and community relations across the state, according to the official website.
Griffin said, “Eight people in Phillips County recently turned themselves in after agents in my Special Investigations Division obtained warrants for their arrest on felony charges related to a runoff election for the Phillips County Justice of the Peace seat for District 9. Lita Moore Johnson, 62, a teacher at Marvell School District who won the runoff election for the Justice of the Peace seat, was one of the individuals arrested after evidence was submitted that she told multiple voters to illegally change the address on their voter registration so that they could vote for her in the runoff. Johnson was charged with two counts of solicitation to commit perjury, a class D felony.”
He continued: “Seven other individuals were charged with perjury, a class C felony, for fraudulently changing their address on an Arkansas Voter Registration Application. Each of them voted in the precinct corresponding with the District 9 Justice of the Peace runoff despite their actual address dictating that they vote elsewhere.” The seven are Mearion Armstrong (68), Cordelia Foster (60), Shirley Hicks (56), Jasean Smith (30), Adam Swopes (26), Rachel Gamble Sykes (56), and Jocelyn Washington (39).
“Keeping Arkansas’s elections the most secure in the country requires vigilance and perseverance, and I am pleased to see these individuals held accountable for their actions. I am grateful for the outstanding work done on these cases by my Special Investigations Division and Special Prosecutions Division,” Griffin said.
The Arkansas Attorney General’s office offers consumer protection services, handles civil and criminal matters, supports public safety initiatives, provides resources for fraud reporting and legal opinions, serves all Arkansans with legal services at a state level, and operates within legal and public safety sectors according to its official website: https://arkansasag.gov/.
Tim Griffin has served as Attorney General since January 10, 2023. He is also an officer in both state National Guard service and has experience as U.S. Attorney as well as roles within federal government agencies.
The broader implications suggest continued focus by authorities on maintaining electoral integrity throughout Arkansas through investigative action led by state officials.
