Draft:John I. Purtle

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John Ingram Purtle and John Purtle should link here

American judge (1923–2010)

John Ingram Purtle (September 7, 1923 – September 14, 2010)^[1] was an American lawyer, politician, and judge who served as a justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court from 1979 to 1989.^[2]

Born in Enola, Faulkner County, Arkansas, he was the middle child of nine children of sharecroppers John Wesley Purtle and Edna Gertrude Ingram Purtle. He was raised in a log cabin and cited his upbringing as formative to his concern for the underprivileged.^[2]

In 1985, he was tried and acquitted in a high profile and political trial while he was a sitting Arkansas Supreme Court justice.^[3]

Purtle, his legal secretary and girlfriend Linda Nooner, and another man were charged in an alleged arson-for-profit scheme involving the destruction of Nooner's home and car.^[2] The case received extensive media coverage, forcing a change of venue from Pulaski to Perry County.^[2][3] Nooner and the third defendant were convicted, but Purtle was tried separately and acquitted by a jury.^[2]

"Serving on the high court from 1979 to 1989, Purtle was prosecuted in the middle of his tenure when he was accused in an insurance fraud scheme that involved the arson of the home of his receptionist who was also his girlfriend. A jury in Little Rock found Purtle not guilty".^[1]

Purtle occasionally courted controversy off the bench, attending political rallies and public protests.^[2] In 1982, for example, he participated in a candlelight vigil protesting a court decision to remove a utility-regulation amendment from the ballot.^[2]

Purtle died in a hospice in Little Rock at the age of 87.^[1]

References

1. "John I. Purtle". Woodbridge News and Messenger. September 17, 2010. p. 4 – via newspapers.com.
2. "John Ingram Purtle (1923–2010)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
3. Samuel A. Perroni, "Setting the Record Straight on State v. John Ingram Purtle: Reflections on the Great Dissenter", 34 U. Ark. Little Rock L. Rev. 135 (2011).

Political offices
Preceded by George Howard Jr.	Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court 1979–1989	Succeeded by Otis H. Turner

Category:1923 births Category:2010 deaths Category:People from Faulkner County, Arkansas Category:Justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court

This open draft remains in progress as of January 15, 2025.