Pre-trial convention held in civil rights go well with filed by Arkansas realtor’s killer

A man convicted of the 2014 murder of a real estate agent in Little Rock appeared on video in federal court on Friday at a pre-trial conference in a civil rights lawsuit he filed in 2018 against three Arkansas Justice Department officials.

Arron Lewis, 40, is serving a life sentence with no parole for his conviction in the murder of Beverly Carter. Lewis appeared on Friday from the Brickys unit in Lee County and is representing himself in the lawsuit.

Lewis originally filed a lawsuit against then ADC director Wendy Kelley, Capt. Mark Stephens and Sgt. Hasel Robinson. Kelley and Stephens were released from the lawsuit earlier this month, leaving Robinson as the sole defendant.

At the end of Friday’s hearing before US District Judge Billy Roy Wilson, Lewis was left with no witnesses to testify to his allegation that Robinson punched him in the left shoulder when he was taken to prison for a sick visit in June 2016. Lewis said he was seen visiting the hospital for a dislocated left shoulder and was in severe pain.

Wilson ruled out nine witnesses Lewis announced he would call to testify. The judge said her testimony was irrelevant as none of the witnesses had direct knowledge of the matter.

A second officer, Cpl. Jarius Sanders, who helped Robinson see Lewis on sick leave, said in an affidavit dated July 14, 2021 that he had not seen the alleged attack.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.