ACLU of Arkansas hires John C. Williams as authorized director

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas announced final week it has employed a brand new authorized director: Little Rock legal professional and Arkansas Instances alum John C. Williams.

Williams, 40, involves the ACLU of Arkansas from the federal public defender’s workplace for the Jap District of Arkansas, the place he collected eight years of experience in post-conviction dying penalty proceedings. In 2017, when the state launched into its mad dash to execute eight men within 10 days under then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Williams was among the many federal attorneys engaged on the entrance traces to decelerate the prepare and push for due course of. He’s served as chief of the workplace’s capital habeas unit and first assistant federal public defender, amongst different roles.

Earlier than receiving his J.D. from Vanderbilt College Regulation College, Williams labored as a political reporter for the Arkansas Instances from 2007 to 2008, again throughout our weekly newsprint days.

Williams can have his work lower out for him on the ACLU of Arkansas, which is concerned in not less than three native instances of nationwide significance.

ACLU attorneys are main the problem to Arkansas’s first-of-its-kind regulation banning gender-affirming medical take care of transgender sufferers underneath 18. Since Arkansas handed its ban in 2021, many different states have adopted go well with — adopted by different court docket challenges — however the Arkansas case is the furthest alongside within the appeals course of. Although the regulation was struck down earlier this year by a federal decide in Little Rock, the case is now on appeal to the 8th Circuit and appears prone to find yourself earlier than the U.S. Supreme Court docket.

The ACLU can be representing plaintiffs in a momentous case earlier than the eighth Circuit regarding the federal Voting Rights Act. A federal decide in Little Rock dominated final yr that the teams suing over the equity of the state’s legislative district maps had no proper to deliver a lawsuit in any respect — solely the federal authorities can implement the Voting Rights Act, the decide stated. A divided three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit recently agreed, and the ACLU is now weighing whether or not to ask the complete, 11-judge court docket to weigh in on the case or instantly petition the Supreme Court docket for evaluation.

Then there’s the ACLU’s problem to the brand new state regulation that may impose felony penalties on librarians and booksellers who present allegedly inappropriate supplies to minors. A federal judge in Fayetteville blocked that law from taking effect this summer, however it awaits a full listening to subsequent yr.

Williams stated he stays deeply focused on dying penalty points, however after eight years on the federal public defender’s workplace, he was prepared to maneuver on.

“I’ve been engaged on capital instances, that are necessary and fascinating, however that’s just about all I used to be doing,” he stated in an interview. “So, to have the ability to broaden what I’m engaged on and go right into a broader vary of civil rights points is the principle attraction of the job for me. I’m very enthusiastic about it.”

ACLU of Arkansas Director Holly Dickson stated in an announcement that Williams’ skilled background and fervour for civil liberties “make him the perfect individual to steer our authorized program.

“His appointment comes at a vital time when our civil liberties face fixed challenges in Arkansas. I’m assured that underneath John’s management, our authorized advocacy will proceed to thrive and make a big affect,” Dickson stated.

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