City Attorney Brent Houston announced today that he is running for Saline County Circuit Judge, 3rd Division. The incumbent, Judge Grisham Phillips, is retiring. In making his announcement, Houston cited his dozen years as City Attorney for the City of Benton, as well as his longtime experience as a trial attorney and frequent service as special judge here in Saline County.
“I’ve had the privilege of practicing law-working with and for our friends and neighbors here in Saline County for decades. I, along with my wife, Lisa, and our twins are engaged and active day-in-day-out with the schools, local government, organizations like the Benton-Bauxite Rotary Club, Habitat for Humanity, Central Arkansas Development Council, and in our home church the Northside Church of Christ. With Judge Phillip’s retirement, I feel called to put my extensive legal and business experience to work to do everything I can to provide fair, efficient justice for our community,” said Houston. “I’ve been honored to serve as a special judge at the request of past and present elected circuit and district court judges on more than fifty occasions over the years. I’m proud they have entrusted me with that responsibility, and I hope Saline County voters will follow their lead in allowing me to serve them on the bench.”
As a special judge, Houston has handled felony criminal, civil, probate, divorce and other matters. The position Houston is seeking, 3rd division of Circuit Court, currently presides over large portions of the Saline County Civil and Criminal dockets. Houston is currently in his fourth term as Benton City Attorney. Houston represents the city in civil matters and advises the mayor and city council on legal concerns as well as drafting ordinances and resolutions for passage into law.
Houston is a Cum Laude graduate of Ouachita Baptist University with a triple major in accounting, economics and business administration. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville. He is licensed to practice in all courts in Arkansas, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He is a past president of the Saline County Bar Association.
The co-chairmen of Houston’s campaign committee are his law partner, Terry Jensen, and local businessman Paul Childress. The general election for Circuit Judges will be in the Spring of 2020.