Arkansas Supreme Court feud

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Karen Baker declared null and void two per curiam orders issued by five associate court justices who claim Baker does not have the authority to unilaterally fire Administrative Office of the Courts employees or appoint new judges to the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission. Baker, who was sworn in on Jan. 1, said the majority are trying to take her power, while the five justices responded by stating that her order “has no legal effect beyond that of a dissenting opinion.”