Tammy Curtis, Managing Editor
A Sharp County attorney and former public defender, has found himself suspended from practicing law and also charged criminally after months of events culminated with his suspension last week. After receiving and reviewing complaints, on May 11, Lisa Ballard, Executive Director of the Supreme Court Office of Professional Conduct issued an interim suspension notice to Calvin Francis Harrell, III.
The Hardy attorney is accused of allegedly violating several of the principles he was sworn to uphold under his oath as an attorney and has now been temporarily stripped of his license to practice law. In the suspension filing, the board concluded that Calvin Francis Harrell, Arkansas Bar No. 2017187, “presently poses a substantial threat of serious danger to the public and to his clients if he continues to practice law.” The suspension further states, “The Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct (the “Committee”), pursuant to the mandate of Section 16 of the Procedures, finds the allegations of the petition are “serious misconduct”, and involve alleged violations of the Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct.” The suspension was active immediately.
The path to the suspension was one that came after many serious events both criminally and in his financial and personal life within the last few months, This news agency that reports on court proceedings has witnessed Circuit judges call Harrell’s clients to the stand only to realize he failed to appear to represent them or neglected to file proper paperwork to extend the cases. Family members of Harrell’s clients have also reported their family members have been held in jail without being visited by him in a timely manner or at all when appointed by the court to do so based on their financial inability to retain a private attorney. This, coupled with a very tumultuous journey in both his personal and professional life have led to these series filings.
Court and police records indicate Calvin Harrell, III has had a tumultuous few months with his now ex-girl-friend (not wife), Meagan Camp ell. Harrell’s wife, Jennifer, filed for divorce on March 3, 2023 in Craig-head County, where the couple resided. The divorce com-plaint cites Harrell’s professional and personal involvement with Campbell in Sharp County and at his residence in Craighead County. It also states Campbell is a convicted felon with current felony drug charges in Craighead County and further asked the court not to allow their two children to not be in contact with Campbell during any future visitations. DWI According to police reports, the first event that created the path for those after took place on Dec. 2, 2021when Harrell received a Driving While Intoxicated citation in Sharp County. This led to his driver’s license being suspended.
DOMESTIC #1
On Feb. 26. Cherokee Village Police Officer Shane Mullins was dispatched to 36 Opalachee Drive in Cherokee Village to a domestic disturbance. He arrived to witness Harrell’s girlfriend, Meagan Campbell placing a lamp in the back of a vehicle and several household items in the yard. When asked about the incident, Campbell told the officer she and her“ ex-boyfriend” Calvin Harrell had broken up three weeks earlier after he accused her of stealing drugs from his law office. She said the previous night was the first night she had spent with him since the breakup. Campbell told Mullins while he was asleep, she looked within his safe and found items later identified as firearms and drugs. Harrell then came out of the home and attempted to speak and began to yell, despite Mullins telling him he would speak with him separately. Campbell told the officer Harrell had been abusive in the past in front of her children and alleged there were guns and drugs in his office. When Mullins spoke to Harrell within what he described as a “mess” of a house, Harrell explained Campbell was on a Suspended Imposition of Sentence, and that he could “get her.” Harrell served as Campbell’s court appointed public defender in a 2021 case in which she was able get 11 out of 12 of her charges, including theft, possession of drugs and other charges dismissed to forego a prison sentence, despite having multiple previous felony convictions, including revocations on several of the cases for not abiding by court orders. Of the 12 charges, she received her sentence through Harrell on only a reduced charge from felony breaking or entering to criminal trespass and received four years suspended in Oct. 2021. At the time of the domestic, the re-port indicated Harrell confirmed Campbell had been employed by him until recently. Harrell told the officer Campbell allegedly stole $7000 from his home and office that had came up missing that day. He informed him he had awakened to Campbell going through his phone and other things. He told Mullins he came to the home to retrieve furniture and alleged Camp-bell was “using” again and needed rehab. Campbell had been employed by Harrell until recently and that he “didn’t want Campbell to be charged,” and would work out something with her or her father. One of Campbell’s friends was with her daughter at the home Harrell arrived and began “tossing the house,” according to the report. Her friend told police Harrell kept screaming about how he was going to send her to prison and left the home with the child when she couldn’t calm him down. Campbell told Mullins her daughter then called her very upset about Harrell’s behavior. Harrell maintained no children were present when he arrived and he began telling Campbell if she didn’t calm down he was pressing charges and said, “you’re going with him,” implying repeatedly she was going to jail. The verbal altercation continued about the property in front of the officer with Campbell then telling Harrell she would press charges also for“ running over her recently in the driveway.” Mullins informed Harrell he doesn’t decide who goes to jail and advised them both to cease communications with one another. Campbell then gave verbal consent to search her vehicle as Harrell continued against the officer’s command to stop arguing. Campbell was then questioned about the missing money which she denied taking and said Harrell wasn’t allowed around her children due to his drug usage. She said the safe she went through was open and she looked within it. She would not tell the officer what was in it but said he needed help and said she had taken his lap-top because he took hers. Mullins then returned the laptop to Harrell within the home and he then accused her of taking bag of zip drives and informed the officer he was afraid for police to go through her car. The search of the car yielded nothing. Mullins informed Harrell that she did not have his property and that the furniture should remain with the home until ordered otherwise. At that point, Harrell stated he wasn’t leaving the home and that he was on the lease and could “tear all this shit up if I want to,” He later agreed to leave, but told the officer he would “come back whenever he wants to because nobody can stop him.” Harrell again attempted to get Mullins to coax Campbell inside to talk to him admitting he didn’t believe she was a thief, despite his earlier claims. When Mullins was attempting to speak with Campbell, Harrell again tried to intervene and ask what she had been saying and repeatedly brought up the missing zip drives and client information that had been allegedly been missing for weeks. Because the argument about the property would not cease, Mullins called Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Zach Throneberry who instructed him to let whoever had property have it and not get involved. He further instructed Mullins to allow Campbell to leave in the vehicle, that Harrell was now claiming was stolen and requesting Campbell be arrested. No charges were filed in the case, but it certainly laid the foundation for the much larger and more dangerous April 24 incident.
DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED DRIVER’S LICENSE
On March 7, 2023 ,Harrell opted to ignore the very law he was sworn to uphold and get behind the wheel of a vehicle. He was stopped for speeding15-20 miles over the limit by Sharp County Det. Sgt. Bryce Trivitt near Red Barn Road North of Cave City after passing the officer at 73 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone. The stop was made at 9:24 a.m, and Harrell told the officer he was late for court in Independence County. A check of his driver’s license revealed the suspension, at which time Harrell was taken into custody and his truck impounded at Dale’s Body Shop in Cave City. Officer Trivitt noted in his incident report Harrell had a large amount of cash in his vehicle he wanted to take with him to post bond. Detention officers counted $5483in currency at the jail
PHYSICAL DOMESTIC ALTERCATION #2
On April 24 Cherokee Village Police Officer Shane Mullins was again to a domestic disturbance at 36 Opalachee Drive. In Mullins’ report, he noted that upon arrival, he was met by a Campbell’s visibly upset15 year-old daughter, who informed him her mother was hurt. Mullins also noted in his report the door frame was knocked off and a chair within the home was missing a leg with couch cushions strewn about. Campbell came to meet Mullins holding her left side and told him Harrell had taken her phone and keys and daughter’s school computer.
Mullins then dispatched an ambulance to address her medical concerns. Neighbors also collaborated with Campbell’s story, stating they heard yelling and a slam before seeing Harrell leave the house quickly. Police also spoke with a man who had saw Campbell outside asking for help and made the 911 call. Campbell explained to Mullins that Harrell had broken her door down, knocking her down and jumping on top of her and hitting her. She said she believed she had lost consciousness at some point as she awakened to her pants being wet. Mullins noticed swelling on her left hand be-fore she was transported to the White River Emergency Department via ambulance. She said Harrell had allegedly come to her house to “help with a warrant” she had out of Craighead County and that her children weren’t at home at the time of the alleged at-tack, but arrived later. Campbell told the officer that Harrell was angry because she had been driving a vehicle belonging to someone else and a vocal alter-cation ensued resulting in her asking him to leave the premises. He did, but left property at her home. After gathering the property for Harrell, planning to return it to him, he broke down the door.
Later that day, Mullins located Harrell at his law office and home in Hardy. Harrell had a different story to tell. He told policer that Campbell had hit his truck with her vehicle multiple times around6 a.m. that morning at his office. Harrell said they then ended up at the Opalachee address. He alleged he attempted to stop Campbell from smoking meth when she attacked him. Mullins noted in his incident report that Harrell’s knuckles were raw and he had scrapes on his right forearm, When asked about the broken door, Mullin’s said Harrell stated the it was“ His house too and he was able to break the door.” Harrell continued to place the blame on Campbell, alleging she had “attacked him with a small table,” and said in trying to defend himself he kicked her in the ribs but initially denied to the officer taking the items.
When questioned about having Campbell’s location on his phone, Harrell admitted it but said he did not have his phone but was in possession of a phone he had bought Campbell that had all of her information on it, but said the phone belonged to him. Around 8:30 that evening, Mullins was advised that Cherokee Village officer Richard Crowe that Harrell had returned to Campbell’s home in reference to his cell phone. At that time, Campbell told the officer she had suffered a concussion, broken finger, broken left arm and broken rib according to her medical report from her earlier emergency room visit.
Harrell was at the residence when Crowe arrived to get his phone and hard drive Campbell had allegedly stolen. The devices contained his client information that Harrell claimed she was deleting and changing passwords and deleting conversations. She told them she did not have his phone or hard drives but that he had taken hers earlier that day during the altercation and that she had to flag down a neighbor to even be able to call the police and was currently using her daughter’s phone. After speaking with her daughter, she advised she located her mother and Harrell’s phones on her Life360 application and showed the officer the last location of both phones to have been at Harrells office at 2:18a.m., one having ran dead there and one was turned off there.
Her daughter advised the officer her mother had not left the residence since before that time. When Harrell was asked to leave the residence, he refused, stating he wasn’t leaving without his property or written confirmation from someone stating he wasn’t liable for client information. Despite having been living at another property for weeks, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Zach Thronberry advised Crowe when he called about the situation that he could not be“ trespassed from the property because he was on the lease.” The DPA advised Crowe to tell both to return each other’s property and go their separate ways.
After calling his chief and advising him of the DPA’s recommendation, Monte Lane advised Crowe to tell Harrell to leave or be charged with Harassment. When confronted with the reality of a harassment charge, Harrell then began acting as if he were helping Campbell and said he had removed many drug related items and paraphernalia, advising she was “using “on a regular basis. Harrell refused to leave and began arguing with Crowe, threatening to call the prosecutor. He then advised he would like to file a theft report, something he had never done to this point and was told he could but he first must leave the premises and meet the officer at another location when he was finished speaking with Campbell. Crowe asked Harrell to meet him at Caseys. He instead argued, wanting to meet in the street to fill out the form.
The officer advised the close proximity to the home, it could still be harassing Campbell. After issuing him a warning of harassment, he had to be ordered to leave several times before he left the residence. Campbell advised that during her relationship with Harrell, they had both used illicit drugs and she had stopped and started attending college again but believed Harrell was still using meth-amphetamine. Crowe also issued a harassment order to Camp-bell advising her to make no contact with Harrell. Despite having met Crowe to obtain the statement form to file the theft report, to date, Harrell has not returned the forms to the police.
Harrell found himself charged with a third-degree domestic battery charge, something police say they have been made aware may be later refiled as a felony due to the ex-tent of Campbell’s injuries. According to Third Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Devon Holder, who admits discussion with officer Crowe about the probability of Harrell losing his law license as a result of the charges that would result from the incident that had taken place, said his office or no representative of his office advised the police department on what type of charges to file in the case. Holder said due to an unspecified “conflict” with his office, he has assigned a special prosecutor to Harrell’s case.
Besides the criminal issues and divorce, two separate cases have been filed in Craighead County for foreclosure against Harrell by Centennial Bank and, most recently a motion for contempt for failing to respond to court for a demand on two separate loans from Arvest Bank. This news agency will continue to follow this story as it develops and if additional or up-graded charges are filed against Harrell in the assault case.