Crime & Public Safety
Benton County judge candidate arrested on stalking, protection-order allegations
Austin McCollum, a candidate for Benton County judge, was arrested in Benton County on Tuesday and faces charges listed in online jail records as stalking and violation of a protection order. Court filings and online records indicate McCollum previously pleaded not guilty earlier this month to three felony charges. He resigned his seat as an Arkansas state representative following the arrest.
According to court directions documented in recent proceedings, a protection order issued last month requires McCollum to stay away from and not contact his wife for two years; the order also permits supervised visitation with his children. Online records and court reports list the current arrest as separate from the earlier arraignment in which he entered a plea. During arraignment proceedings, a defendant is formally informed of charges and enters a plea, and McCollum has pleaded not guilty in court this month.
Local party and county officials have noted election- and ballot-related implications: McCollum remains the only candidate listed for the Benton County judge race, and the Republican Party’s legal deadline to replace a candidate was Sept. 17. County officials said removal from the ballot typically requires specific circumstances such as relocation out of Benton County, serious illness, death, or running for another office; the Benton County Republican Party has said it sees no legal pathway to remove him from the ballot.
McCollum, his attorney, and the prosecuting attorney declined comment in the reports. Early voting was noted to begin Oct. 19 and the voter-registration deadline as Oct. 5 in the same coverage. The case remains under investigation and pending in the court system.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.