BENTON - An estate planner making his first bid for public office and a former prosecutor who once aspired to be attorney general are vying for a new circuit judgeship in Saline County.
Paul White, a Bryant attorney and former assistant city attorney in Little Rock, was the top vote-getter in a three-way contest in May for the District 22, Division 4 seat. Robert Herzfeld, former Saline County prosecuting attorney who lives in Benton, came in second. A special runoff is set for Nov. 4.
White, 41, says he's the most experienced with 16 years of practicing law. Herzfeld, 35, counters that, saying he has the most relevant law experience.
White has been in front ofhis share of juries, though the bulk of his courtroom experience is with civil cases. Herzfeld says that he has tried "thousands of serious felony" cases as Saline County's prosecuting attorney from 2003-07.
"I've referred folks to him to plan their estates, and he does a very good job at that, and he has referred people to me to go to court," Herzfeld said.
Before opening a privatepractice in Bryant, White served as deputy city attorney in Little Rock and as an attorney for the Arkansas Baptist Foundation, helping the foundation form policies for hiring and screening employees who would work with children.
"I've got a reputation for being fair-minded and for exercising good judgment," White said.
He described his style in the courtroom as low-key.
"I don't think everything has to use the scorched-earth policy," he said. "You don't have to be a jerk to practice law, and you can represent your client in a forceful way without being disagreeable."
Herzfeld seems to have an edge with name recognition inSaline County, as his grandfather was a county clerk and his father was a longtime justice of the peace after whom the Saline County library was named.
But White said he thinks that his lack of any political baggage is an advantage.
"I think it's a benefit because I come in with a clean slate," he said.
Herzfeld was a high-profile prosecutor who was quick to call news conferences, draftedseveral pieces of legislation and took a sheriff to task for what he thought was wrongdoing.
He says the job called for that kind of fighter approach. On the bench, however, he said he would aim to be the kind of judge he would have wanted to come before.
"My job as prosecutor, at times, required me to take positions that caused controversy," Herzfeld said. "My job, if elected as circuit judge, is to make good decisions based on the law and based on the facts and not to take one side or theother."
Herzfeld lost in the Democratic primary for attorney general in 2006. He said his only political goal now is to be circuit judge, eschewing the idea that he has his sights set on any other office.
"My goal and my family's goal is for me to be the next circuit judge," he said. "I don't plan on running for anything else except for re-election for circuit judge."
Early voting begins Monday, and the special election for the nonpartisan spot is Nov. 4.
Arkansas, Pages 11, 16 on 10/18/2008