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Arkansas judge convicted of lying to feds about seeking sex with defendant’s girlfriend

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Arkansas judge convicted of lying to feds about seeking sex with defendant’s girlfriend



A jury found Thomas David Carruth guilty of making false statements to the FBI about using his position to seek sexual favors from a woman whose boyfriend had a case before the Monroe County District.

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A former Arkansas judge was found guilty of lying to federal investigators about trying to extort a defendant’s girlfriend for sex or a “lingerie show,” the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

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A jury found Thomas David Carruth guilty of making false statements to the FBI about using his position to seek sexual favors from a woman whose boyfriend had a case before the Monroe County District Court elected judge. The woman secretly recorded the judge’s comments and turned the tape over to the FBI.

The woman Carruth failed to extort recorded his not-so-subtle solicitations and shared them with law enforcement, according to a federal indictment in the Eastern District of Arkansas.

“I got one area I want to explore with you,” Carruth tells her in the recording when discussing how to help her boyfriend with his case according to the indictment, “and I don’t know how you’re gonna react. Um… how do you feel about sex?”

The recording stands in stark contrast to the former judge’s statements to the FBI that he didn’t “even [think] about” sex with the woman.

The former judge already had a tainted record: The Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission admonished Carruth in 2018 for creating the appearance of impropriety after an inquiry into allegations similar to those of the woman who recorded Carruth asking her for sex.

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Carruth faces a maximum of five years in prison for the charge. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. The 64-year-old was acquitted of charges of bribery, honest services fraud, and violations of the Travel Act, according to the Justice Department.

He was first arrested and charged in January 2023, officials said. Carruth resigned sometime after the FBI raided his house in June 2023, according to reporting by The Monroe County Argus.

Jeffrey M. Rosenzweig, Carruth’s attorney, thanked the jury in response to a request for comment. 

“We are grateful for the jury’s wisdom in seeing through the duplicative and tenuous charges that the government chose to bring,” Rosenzweig said. “We recognize that the jury thought through the decision to convict on the one charge, although we respectfully disagree with the result they reached.”

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‘Do you have any nice lingerie?’

The 28-minute phone recording on April 18, 2022, of the woman’s conversation with the judge shows a matter-of-fact approach to sexual extortion.

She had approached him about a separate issue when he offered to help with her boyfriend’s criminal case, according to an indictment.

The man was hoping for an early trial date to make sure he didn’t violate a parole order and Carruth offered to oblige if he got something in return. 

“I’d prefer not [to] have to in order to get this done,” the woman told the judge when he broached the topic of sex, court papers say.

“”The next step back,” he said on the recording, “is… do you have any nice lingerie?”

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Carruth persisted when she refused to give a “lingerie show”: “What you’re buying is we’re going to try to shorten those timeframes,” he said, referring to the man’s trial, according to court documents.

She shared the tape with law enforcement and when contacted by the FBI, Carruth flatly denied seeking sex with the woman, saying he didn’t “even [think] about” sex with her, the Justice Department said.

Tainted record

Carruth’s dealings with women have been suspect since shortly after he was first elected to the post in 2012.

Less than 10,000 people live in Monroe County, a rural jurisdiction about 90 miles east of Little Rock, and in such small towns it’s not uncommon for people with business at the courthouse to approach the judge, the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission wrote in its 2018 admonishment of Carruth.

Under the small town circumstances, the commission expects judges to be particularly vigilant to avoid discussing court business inappropriately but Carruth was accused of doing so for years, the commission wrote.

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The admonishment does not detail the extrajudicial discussions but according to the federal indictment they involved seeking sex from women who had cases before him.

Carruth denied the allegations but the commission admonished him for conduct that allowed such a cloud of suspicion to arise in the first place. 

“Even assuming the truth of your assertion, the number, times and circumstances of your contacts created an appearance of impropriety,” the commission wrote. “The judiciary cannot exist without the trust and confidence of the people. The confidence is maintained when judges endeavor to follow the Code of Judicial Conduct while they remain faithful to the law.”

The commission decided not to sanction Carruth beyond making the admonishment public.

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Arkansas man accused of killing daughter’s alleged abuser wins Republican sheriff’s nomination

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Arkansas man accused of killing daughter’s alleged abuser wins Republican sheriff’s nomination


An Arkansas man accused of killing his teenage daughter’s alleged abuser recently won the Republican nomination for local sheriff while waiting to stand trial for murder in his rural county, where he ran on a message of seeing the failures of law enforcement.

Aaron Spencer defeated Lonoke county sheriff John Staley in a primary election Tuesday, according to unofficial results posted by the Arkansas secretary of state. He would not be able to serve if he is convicted of killing Michael Fosler, 67, who at the time was out on bond after being charged with numerous sexual offenses against Spencer’s then 13-year-old daughter.

Spencer’s attorneys do not deny that he shot and killed Fosler – but maintain he acted within the law to protect his child from a predator.

Spencer won more than 53% of the vote with all precincts reporting, according to unofficial results. Staley, whose department arrested Spencer in 2024, conceded the loss.

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“Congratulations to Mr Spencer,” Staley said in a statement posted on Facebook. “Tonight the voters made their decision in the Republican Primary, and I respect the decision.”

Spencer said in a statement that his message of accountability resonated with voters.

“Tonight, the people of Lonoke county stood up and chose transparency and accountability,” Spencer said. “This wasn’t a campaign about me. It was about every family who called for help and got nothing. That betrayal ends tonight.”

He is now set to face Democrat Brian Mitchell Sr in the heavily Republican county in November.

Spencer has pleaded not guilty and is out on bond while awaiting trial, which was originally scheduled to start in January. The trial was delayed after the presiding judge was removed from the case. A new date has not been set.

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Court documents show that on the night of the October 2024 shooting, Spencer woke up to find his daughter missing from her bedroom and went searching for her in his truck. He found the girl in the passenger seat of a vehicle Fosler was driving. Spencer eventually forced Fosler’s truck off the highway and, after an altercation, called 911 to report he had shot the man, records show.

Prosecutors argue Spencer had planned to kill Fosler even before that night and that he could have called police while pursuing Fosler.

Spencer’s attorney, Erin Cassinelli, wrote in an email to the Associated Press that the election results have no bearing on the facts of the case.

“Aaron Spencer did exactly what the law allows and exactly what any father would do: he protected his daughter and himself from harm,” Cassinelli said. “At some point, those responsible for this prosecution will have to reckon with that.”

Spencer pledged in a Facebook post in February that if elected he would establish a dedicated team to combat sex crimes against children.

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How to watch Georgia softball at Arkansas series, streaming and more

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How to watch Georgia softball at Arkansas series, streaming and more


No. 15 Georgia softball (18-5) opens conference play on the road in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday, March 6, against the No. 7 Razorbacks (19-1).

The Friday game has been moved up to 3 p.m. from 7 p.m. due to weather expected in the area.

The last time Georgia faced Arkansas was in the 2025 SEC Tournament. The Razorbacks defeated the Bulldogs, 5-1, on a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning in the second round.

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Georgia is coming into conference play with an 18-5 record, while Arkansas only has one loss to Virginia from Feb. 7. The Razorbacks are on a 17-game winning streak with 12 of those games ending in mercy-rulings.

Here’s what you need to know about the Georgia-Arkansas weekend series to open 2026 SEC play:

What channel is Georgia softball at Arkansas?

Georgia’s weekend series at Arkansas will be streamed through the SEC Network+. Fans looking to stream the games can go to the ESPN app. An ESPN select subscription totals $12.99 monthly or $129.00 annually, while an ESPN unlimited subscription totals $29.99 monthly or $299.99 annually.

There is no other way to tune into these games, as the university is not streaming the game audio on their radiocast.

Georgia softball start times at Arkansas

Georgia has a three-game weekend series at Arkansas, with later than normal first pitches due to being in Central Time:

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Date Time (ET)
Friday, March 6 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 7 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 8 2 p.m.

Georgia vs Arkansas softball history

  • Series record: Georgia leads, 41-26
  • Georgia’s last win: March 31, 2024; 8-2
  • Arkansas’ last win: May 7, 2025; 5-1

Georgia softball score updates at Arkansas

This section will be updated throughout the series.

Game 1

TEAM 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH FINAL
Arkansas
Georgia

Game 2

TEAM 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH FINAL
Arkansas
Georgia

Game 3

TEAM 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH FINAL
Arkansas
Georgia

Georgia softball 2026 schedule

Record: 18-5 overall

  • SEC competition*
  • Red & Black Showcase^
  • Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational#
  • Georgia Classic/
  • Bulldog Classic//
Date & Time Opponent Location Result
Feb. 6 @ 3:30 p.m. Missouri State^ Athens W, 10-1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 6 @ 6 p.m. Fordham^ Athens W, 7-1
Feb. 7 @ 1 p.m. Fordham^ Athens W, 5-1
Feb. 7 @ 3:30 p.m. Belmont^ Athens W, 12-0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 8 @ 1 p.m. Belmont^ Athens L, 1-2
Feb. 12 @ 11 a.m. Oklahoma State# Clearwater, Fla. L, 5-6
Feb. 12 @ 4 p.m. Nebraska# Clearwater, Fla. W, 6-5
Feb. 13 @ 9 a.m. NC State# Clearwater, Fla. W, 16-2 (5 inn.)
Feb. 13 @ 1 p.m. UCF# Clearwater, Fla. W, 13-5 (5 inn.)
Feb. 14 @ 1 p.m. Northwestern# Clearwater, Fla. W, 8-3
Feb. 14 @ 4 p.m. Duke# Clearwater, Fla. W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 18 @ 4 p.m. Samford Athens W, 13-8
Feb. 20 @ 3:30 p.m. Seton Hall/ Athens W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 20 @ 6 p.m. Utah State/ Athens W, 4-1
Feb. 21 @ 3:30 p.m. Virginia Tech/ Athens L, 3-9
Feb. 21 @ 6 p.m. Utah State/ Athens W, 11-2 (5 inn.)
Feb. 22 @ 1 p.m. Virginia Tech/ Athens L, 3-9
Feb. 25 @ 6 p.m. Clemson Athens L, 1-10 (6 inn.)
Feb. 27 @ 6 p.m. South Alabama// Athens W, 8-0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 28 @ 1 p.m. South Alabama// Athens W, 9-0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 28 @ 3:30 p.m. UNC-Wilmington// Athens W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
March 1 @ 1 p.m. UNC-Wilmington// Athens W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
March 4 @ 6 p.m. Georgia State Athens W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
March 6 @ 3 p.m. Arkansas* Fayetteville, Ark.
March 7 @ 6 p.m. Arkansas* Fayetteville, Ark.
March 8 @ 2 p.m. Arkansas* Fayetteville, Ark.
March 10 @ 6 p.m. West Georgia Athens
March 18 @ 6 p.m. Georgia Tech Athens
March 20 @ 6 p.m. Mississippi State* Athens
March 21 @ 2 p.m. Mississippi State* Athens
March 22 @ 2 p.m. Mississippi State* Athens
March 25 @ 6 p.m. Mercer Athens
March 27 @ TBD Kentucky* Lexington, Ky.
March 28 @ TBD Kentucky* Lexington, Ky.
March 29 @ TBD Kentucky* Lexington, Ky.
April 2 @ TBD Texas A&M* College Station, Texas
April 3 @ TBD Texas A&M* College Station, Texas
April 4 @ TBD Texas A&M* College Station, Texas
April 8 @ 6 p.m. USC-Upstate Athens
April 10 @ 6 p.m. Missouri* Athens
April 11 @ 2 p.m. Missouri* Athens
April 12 @ 2 p.m. Missouri* Athens
April 15 @ 6 p.m. Kennesaw State Kennesaw, Ga.
April 18 @ 4 p.m. Texas* Athens
April 19 @ Noon Texas* Athens
April 20 @ 7 p.m. Texas* Athens
April 22 @ 6 p.m. Georgia Southern Athens
April 24 @ TBD Oklahoma* Norman, Okla.
April 25 @ TBD Oklahoma* Norman, Okla.
April 26 @ TBD Oklahoma* Norman, Okla.
April 30 @ 6 p.m. Florida* Athens
May 1 @ 6 p.m. Florida* Athens
May 2 @ Noon Florida* Athens
May 5-9 SEC Tournament Lexington, Ky.
May 15-17 NCAA Regional Campus sites
May 21-24 NCAA Super Regional Campus sites
May 28-June 5 Women’s College World Series Oklahoma City, Okla.



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Report Assesses Access to Primary Care in Arkansas – ACHI

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Report Assesses Access to Primary Care in Arkansas – ACHI


Arkansas has made significant investments to strengthen its primary care physician workforce over the past decade. New medical schools have opened in the state, residency program slots have increased, and loan forgiveness programs have been established to incentivize residency graduates to remain in the state to practice. Despite these efforts, access to a usual source of care (i.e., a place where one goes for routine healthcare needs) remains a challenge for many Arkansans, according to a new report.

Published February 12 by the Milbank Memorial Fund, the report, “Investing in Primary Care: The Missing Strategy in America’s Fight Against Chronic Disease,” evaluates states’ primary care performance. Among its findings is that 18% of Arkansas adults report not having a usual source of care, which is comparable to the national estimate of 17%. That means that nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans do not have a consistent way of interacting with the state’s healthcare system.

Access to a Usual Source of Care

Nationwide, the report finds that among adults with chronic disease, having a usual source of care is associated with lower odds of hospitalization and lower total spending on health care. These findings are particularly relevant for Arkansas, where chronic disease prevalence remains high. The most recent America’s Health Rankings report from the United Health Foundation ranked Arkansas 44th among all 50 states and the District Columbia for its percentage (15%) of adults with three or more chronic conditions — such as arthritis, diabetes, or cancer — in 2023, with the top-ranked state having the lowest percentage.

The Arkansas Primary Care Payment Improvement Working Group, established under Act 483 of 2025, is currently examining primary care investment in the state. The group, which includes a representative from ACHI, is tasked with measuring current primary care spending, evaluating the adequacy of the primary care delivery system, and recommending spending targets for Medicaid and commercial insurers. These efforts align with national recommendations to track and increase primary care investment, an issue we highlighted in a previous post.

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Arkansas’s Primary Care Workforce

The country’s primary care workforce supply is another focus of the Milbank report. The report estimates that Arkansas had 58 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents in 2023, below the national average of 68 per 100,000 residents. The Milbank report also finds that 29% of Arkansas physicians were working in primary care in 2023, compared to 27% nationally.

The state’s higher-than-average share of physicians choosing primary care is encouraging, but long-term retention and geographic distribution remain challenges. ACHI developed the Arkansas Primary Care Physician Workforce Dashboard, an interactive tool that allows users to view data on primary care physicians practicing in Arkansas. The dashboard — which uses a broader definition of “primary care physician” than the Milbank report’s — shows that per capita rates of primary care physicians vary widely between urban and rural counties, and that two counties, Montgomery and Newton, had no active full-time primary care physician in 2022. The dashboard also shows that 26% of fill-time primary care physicians in the state were 60 or older in 2022, raising concerns about future supply as many approach retirement.

The Milbank report finds that in communities with higher levels of social deprivation — measured by the social deprivation index, a composite indicator of socioeconomic hardship — primary care physician availability in Arkansas is lower on average than in similarly deprived communities nationwide. Given the high burden of chronic disease among Arkansans, this is a concerning finding.

Recommendations

States that invest in primary care, as highlighted in the Milbank report, experience downstream improvements in population health and lower healthcare costs. Arkansas has established the infrastructure to evaluate and potentially increase those investments. ACHI will continue to track physician supply, distribution, and access to help inform primary care policy discussions.

Find more information about Arkansas’s healthcare workforce on our topic page.

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