Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has appointed Kara Ann Petro, chief deputy prosecutor of Garland County, as circuit judge of the Eighteenth East Judicial District.
Petro will serve the remainder of retiring Judge Marcia Hearnsberger’s term, which expires on Dec. 31, 2024.
Hearnsberger is stepping down after 25 years on the bench. She was appointed by Sanders’ father, former Gov. Mike Huckabee.
“I know Kara is well-qualified to take up this position and continue Judge Hearnsberger’s legacy,” Sanders said in a statement. “Her record as chief deputy prosecuting attorney shows that she is tough on crime and committed to enforcing the law.”
Petro, a Garland County native, graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a bachelor’s in English and a minor in political science. She earned her J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law.
In 2015, Petro decided to leave private practice to pursue criminal trial work as chief deputy prosecutor. She also supervises other trial attorneys in the prosecutor’s office.
“It will be my great honor to serve as the circuit judge of the Eighteenth East Judicial District,” Petro said. “As a Garland County native, a lifelong Arkansan, and the chief deputy prosecuting attorney for the Eighteenth Judicial District, I know this community well — and I will be proud to continue enforcing the law with toughness, but fairness.”
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