Commission Members
CHAIRPERSON
Judge Tommy Fowler
JUDGE MEMBER
Judge Member Tommy Fowler (Judge Member) was elected as a State District Judge for Craighead County in March, 2016 and took office January 1st, 2017. Prior to that, he was a Circuit Judge in the Second Judicial District after being appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to fill out the remaining term left after the passing of Judge Lee Fergus. He was a 2017 Visionary Arkansan as selected by the Arkansas Times news magazine for his changes implemented by the Craighead County District Court. He was recently selected by the Jonesboro Sun one of 12 Who Make It Happen. He currently serves on several state judicial committees including the Judicial Discipline and Disability Committee.
Before become a Judge, he had served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the 2nd Judicial District in Craighead County for 15 years. He prosecuted misdemeanor cases for four state agencies; Craighead County and five municipalities while maintaining a private practice.
Judge Fowler graduated from Arkansas State University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and was the recipient of the R.E. Lee Wilson Award, the highest honor bestowed on one graduating senior. After clerking for the elected prosecutor for two years, he attended the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville and graduated in 1998.
He has recently retired as the Director of the American Legion Arkansas Boys State program after being involved for 31 years. He resides in Jonesboro and is a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.
VICE CHAIRMAN
Judge Lee Harrod
JUDGE MEMBER
Judge Member Lee Harrod (Judge Member) was elected the new Commission Vice-Chair. Judge Harrod was appointed to the Commission in 2018 with a term set to expire in 2025. Judge Lee Harrod is a Circuit Judge in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit encompassing Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard and Stone counties. Judge Harrod was elected to the bench in 2008 and re-elected in 2014. Harrod is unopposed in the 2020 election cycle and will start a new six-year judicial term on 1/1/2021.
