Barbara Elmore

Professional career

• In January 2026, the Arkansas Supreme Court removed Judge Elmore from the Aaron Spencer case after finding her gag order violated the defendant’s First Amendment rights.
• Prior roles: held the role of district judge of the Southern District of Lonoke County (2005–2007) and as both a criminal prosecutor and defense attorney in private practice

Education

Additional information

• The Division 1 Circuit Judge for the Twenty‐Third Judicial Circuit in Lonoke County, Arkansas, serving since 2007 and handling domestic, civil, probate, and criminal cases.
• Elected: Won a full term in 2008 and re‐elected in 2014 for a term ending in 2020.
• Appointed: July 2007 by Governor Mike Beebe after the Arkansas Legislature created the judgeship.
• The court vacated the order, stayed prosecution, and assigned the case to a special circuit judge KATV.
• This was a high‐profile intervention amid concerns about fair trial rights and public access.
• Criminal proceedings
• Judge Elmore presides over the First Division Circuit Court of Lonoke County, part of Arkansas’s 23rd Judicial Circuit.
• Former President, Lonoke County Bar Association
• She is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, Lonoke County Bar Association, and the Arkansas Judicial Council.