District 13 Justice of the Peace Edward Spears pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failure to register a vehicle in Jefferson County District Court Friday morning, the charge that originally resulted in Spears being locked up in White County.
Lincoln County District Judge Vic Harper accepted the plea and ordered Spears to pay a fine. An additional charge of failure to appear was dismissed after authorities in White County faxed information showing Spears was incarcerated when his court date occurred.
Harper was sitting in for Jefferson County District Judge Kim Bridgforth, who recused herself.
An Arkansas state trooper stopped the vehicle Spears was driving on Aug. 8 on U.S. 65 at Bryant Street and while running a records check, dispatchers reported that there was an active warrant for Spears from White County.
Those warrants were for failure to appear on hot check charges, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and warrants from Woodruff and Arkansas counties, both for hot check violations.
Spears has since paid the fines and fees from the other counties and has returned to work on the Jefferson County Quorum Court, where he represents District 13, which is located across the Arkansas River and includes the cities of Altheimer, Humphrey, Wabbaseka, Sherrill, Plum Bayou and Tucker.
He announced late last year that he would not seek another term.