Missy Wardlaw is running in the March Republican primary for state House seat 94 in southeast Arkansas. She's married to Jeff Wardlaw, the term-limited incumbent currently holding that seat.

In 2018, Missy Wardlaw was charged with a 2018 hot-check misdemeanor. The Arkansas courts' website shows the disposition of that criminal case as: "GUILTY--BOND FORFEITED."

She paid the government $393.98 for: 1. restitution for the hot check, 2. the prosecutor's fee, 3. court costs, 4. the service fee for her arrest warrant, and 5. $95 in fines. This was everything due--both to the vendor that she stiffed and the court. The case was closed on Oct. 1, the same day that the court reimbursed the vendor.

Article 5, § 9 of the Arkansas Constitution prohibits any person convicted of an "infamous crime" from holding elected office. Passing a hot check is one such crime.

Wardlaw's opponent, John Kyle Day, filed a petition to have Wardlaw disqualified. Here's an excerpt of the transcript from the hearing before Pulaski County Circuit Judge Cathleen Compton, in which she ruled that Wardlaw may stay on the ballot. Kyle aptly has already filed his notice of appeal, because Compton's ruling doesn't make any sense to me. You decide.

Testimony of the county clerk:

Q: Does a certified docket indicate the disposition of [Missy Wardlaw's] case?

A: Yes, it does. . . .

Q: And what was the disposition of this case?

A: The disposition of this is Guilty-Bond Forfeit . . . [which] means, the fine was paid before court in the Clark County Court. . . . They never came to court.

Q: And if the fine was paid before court, does that mean that the person did not contest these charges?

A: I--when this is entered, they're just not wanting to come to court. They're willing to pay just like you would do a speeding ticket, you didn't want to come to court, you just........

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