The Justice Building

 The Justice Building

The Justice Building was dedicated on June 10, 1958. The Court Room, the round glass-enclosed wing of the building, was added later and dedicated on January 9, 1976. The Supreme Court Justices in office when the court room was dedicated were Chief Justice Carleton Harris and Associate Justices George Rose Smith, John A. Fogleman, J. Fred Jones, Conley Byrd, J. Frank Holt and Elsijane Trimble Roy. 

The Arkansas Justice Building Commission was responsible for the building. At that time they were George Hartje, Chairman; George Jernigan, Secretary; Boyce Davis; Bill E. Ross; Sue Park; and Marion S. Gill. The commission was dissolved in 1993. The Justice Building is now under the care of Arkansas State Building Services. The public entrance to the building is in front of the west side of the buidling as shown in the picture above.

Before the Court Room was built, the Supreme Court held court in a temporary court room in the south end of the Justice Building. Prior to 1958 the Supreme Court Chambers and Court Room were located on the second floor of the State Capitol which is pictured here.

The court room in the capitol has been restored and is now used by the General Assembly as a hearing room and for ceremonial functions. The first elected members of the Court of Appeals chose that room for their swearing-in ceremony in January of 1981.

The Supreme Court (courtroom pictured to the left) hears oral arguments and announces its decisions each Thursday at 9 a.m. during the term of court, which usually commences the first Tuesday after Labor Day and continues until mid-July of the following year. The Court of Appeals convenes on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m. and its term coincides approximately with that of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court Library is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday except for State Holidays. This picture shows the Supreme Court rotunda which is a beautiful glass enclosed courtroom with architectural reliefs surrounding the outside of the courtroom. This part of the building has no entry for the public. Please make sure you go to the front entrance.