§ 3-1. Juvenile Court Guardian ad Litem established.

(a)

There is hereby created and established for the County the position of Washington County Juvenile Court Guardian ad Litem, hereinafter called "Juvenile Court Guardian".

(b)

The services of a Juvenile Court Guardian shall be secured by contract with the County using the following procedure: A Juvenile Court Guardian selection committee shall be appointed by the County Judge. The County Judge may consider recommendations for appointment to this committee from the Washington County Bar Association President, the Washington County Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, or other members of the community. The selection committee shall be composed of at least three (3) persons who (1) are licensed attorneys who regularly practice in the Juvenile Court, or (2) have substantial experience in the area of child welfare and Juvenile justice and are familiar with the duties and functions of the Juvenile Court Guardian. The selection committee shall review the credentials and references included in all applications submitted for the contract and arrange interviews with each applicant. Following this review, the selection committee shall recommend one (1) or more applicants to the County Judge for award of the contract. The County Judge shall select the Juvenile Court Guardian and notify the selection committee and the person selected.

(c)

The Juvenile Court Guardian shall report to the County Judge. The performance of the Juvenile Court Guardian shall be evaluated annually prior to renewal of the contract for services. The County Judge shall determine the mode of this review, and may solicit formal input from the selection committee. The Juvenile Court Guardian shall maintain a current report of the number of children represented who have been adjudicated "dependent/neglected", and the number adjudicated as "family in need of services" cases.

(d)

The Juvenile Court Guardian shall receive a compensation specified by the budget, which shall be paid in equal biweekly payments. This salary shall be full compensation for all duties required of the Juvenile Court Guardian by the Juvenile Code of the State of Arkansas, including, but not limited to, those duties referred to in Ark. Code Ann. §§ 9-9-208, 9-9-220, 9-27-316, 9-27-338, 9-27-340, 12-12-506, and 20-82-202 and related statutes.

(e)

The duties of the Juvenile Court Guardian shall not include any appointment as Guardian ad Litem in custody proceedings not brought under provisions of the Juvenile Code of the State of Arkansas. The Juvenile Court Guardian may accept such other appointments only when no apparent or potential conflict of interest may result in the representation of the children in Juvenile proceedings pursuant to this section.

(f)

Should the Circuit/Chancery Judge, Juvenile division, deem it necessary due to conflict of interest or other extraordinary circumstances rendering it impossible for the Juvenile Court Guardian to represent any child, appoint an attorney other than the Juvenile Court Guardian to serve as Guardian ad Litem in any Juvenile proceeding, such appointment may be made on an ad hoc basis.

(Ord. No. 96-34, Arts. 1—6, 9-12-96)

Editor's note

Ord. No. 96-34, Arts. 1—6, adopted September 12, 1996, did not specifically amend the Code; hence, inclusion herein as § 3-1 was at the discretion of the editor.