On Friday, the legality of Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr.’s notarized signature on a Sept. 4 verification of his lawsuit seeking an injunction against the Nov. 6 mayoral election here was brought into question after Redus admitted on Thursday that his wife, Trudy Redus, had signed his name in his absence.
The mayor was attending the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 4.
According to Arkansas Code Annotated 5-37-201, a person commits second-degree forgery “if he or she forges a written instrument” that “does or may affect a legal right, interest, obligation or status.” Second-degree forgery is a Class C felony, which is punishable by a jail term of three to 10 years and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
It is also unlawful for a notary to approve a document without verifying signatures.
There is some question as to whether the development might impact the suit’s status, even to the point of causing it to be dismissed.
The case was slated for a Tuesday hearing in Little Rock before Pulaski County Circuit Judge Jay Moody, who was assigned to hear the case after Jefferson County’s circuit judges asked to be recused. But earlier Friday, the hearing was postponed.
A new court date hasn’t yet been announced.